Well, that explains some of the other activities.  A local artist, Judith Levy, also has a show opening in which she has created genealogies for Huck Finn, the Lone Ranger, and Hansel and Gretel, and has "interviewed" their last descendents on video.  In October she's going to have a panel discussion that I'm scheduled to take part in.  I do think it will be a blast!  --s

Susan K. Harris

Hall Professor of American Literature

University of Kansas

Author of God's Arbiters: Americans and the Philippines, 1898-1902 (The War that Sparked Mark Twain's Conflict with America

________________________________________
From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Mark Dawidziak [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 2:22 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Hirst and Mark Twain coming to Sacramento

     Susan, you'll have a blast.
     A Big Read program can be tremendously enriching for a community.
Our Largely Literary Theater Company has teamed up with several of them
here in Ohio, providing stage performances, lectures, museum exhibits
and community participation events for Big Read initiatives devoted to
Twain, Poe and Dashiell Hammett. We've seen them sponsored by
universities, arts centers, historic sites, museums and libraries.
      I believe the reason "Tom Sawyer" is the National Endowment's book
of choice for Twain is because the No. 1 group not reading is young men.
"Tom Sawyer" is viewed as the book most likely to hook boys. Now, a Big
Read typically lasts more than a month, so programs, being devised for
all ages, also spotlight the author and his or her body of work. Huck
Finn naturally is welcomed through the Big Read door with his comrade.
There is tremendous latitude as the author and the work are celebrated,
and the NEA encourages sponsoring organizations to get creative.
     I'll echo Warren's sentiment: "A worthy program.
     All best,
         Mark

On 8/31/2011 1:59 PM, Harris, Susan Kumin wrote:
> The Big Read folks in Kansas City are doing Tom Sawyer, too.  Also, someone=
>   has commissioned an original ballet based on the novel for the KC Ballet C=
> ompany.  So it's a big deal here in Twain's home state.
>
> I'll be giving a talk on Twain and the Philippines at the Central Library i=
> n KC on October 4.  --susan harris
>
> Susan K. Harris
>
> Hall Professor of American Literature
>
> University of Kansas
>
> Author of God's Arbiters: Americans and the Philippines, 1898-1902 (The War=
>   that Sparked Mark Twain's Conflict with America
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Warren Brown [wbmtwa=
> [log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 6:48 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Hirst and Mark Twain coming to Sacramento
>
> The article is a bit confusing. The Big Read is a program operated by the N=
> =3D
> ational Endowment for the Humanities started in 2006, to answer a serious i=
> =3D
> ssue. Don't recall any mention to the NEH in the article, but perhaps, is d=
> =3D
> eserving of credit for the event. A worthy program. All programs which prom=
> =3D
> ote reading are worthy. Always glad to see a Mark Twain book is selected.=
> =3D
> =3D20
>
> "The Big Read answers a big need. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Rea=
> =3D
> ding in America, a 2004 report by the National Endowment for the Arts, foun=
> =3D
> d that not only is literary reading in America declining rapidly among all =
> =3D
> groups, but that the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the =
> =3D
> young. The concerned citizen in search of good news about American literary=
> =3D
>   culture would study the pages of this report in vain."=3D20
>
> Since The Big Read operated by the NEH was intended to address the specific=
> =3D
>   issue mentioned in the Reading at Risk survey, especially with young reade=
> =3D
> rs, the NEH selected four books per year, which they felt, addressed the is=
> =3D
> sue. I believe Tom Sawyer was selected in the second year of the program. H=
> =3D
> uckleberry Finn, is unquestionably, not a good selection for our youth, exc=
> =3D
> ept for Sam a.k.a. "Youth," affectionately nicknamed by Livy.=3D20
>
> Sam would probably say, 'The reading of a single book by communities has be=
> =3D
> en occurring since the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, and I'm thinking ab=
> =3D
> out a rewrite ... and removing the word 'God.' (thanks for the U.K. "Victor=
> =3D
> ia" cartoon strip circulated several months ago).
>
> read about The Big Read at the NEH website
>
>
> Warren Brown
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arianne<[log in to unmask]>
> To: TWAIN-L<[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tue, Aug 30, 2011 3:17 pm
> Subject: Hirst and Mark Twain coming to Sacramento
>
>
> http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/29/3868153/tom-sawyer-is-next-big-read.html
> I'm surprised Huckleberry Finn wasn't chosen.
> Arianne Laidlaw=
>