The Evanston Public Library (EPL) has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)to host the Big Read in Evanston from September 2024 – May 2025. The Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.
EPL is celebrating Ross Gay’s book of poetry “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.” The book is described by the publisher as “a sustained meditation on that which goes away—loved ones, the seasons, the earth as we know it—that tries to find solace in the processes of the garden and the orchard. That is, this is a book that studies the wisdom of the garden and orchard, those places where all—death, sorrow, loss—is converted into what might, with patience, nourish us.”
EPL will provide the community with free copies of the book to be given away at a variety of events from September through May. In partnership with Hive Center For The Book Arts, the Library will host events around the themes of this book of poetry, with a focus on joy and gratitude for where we live.
Join EPL for a Kick-Off Event on Saturday, September 21, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the Main Library, 1703 Orrington Avenue. Joyful art and poetry activities are planned, and attendees can pick up a free copy of Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay while supplies last. All ages are welcome. Community members can also stop by the Robert Crown Branch Library, 1801 Main Street, from 9 – 11 a.m. to pick up a copy of the book, along with gratitude journal kits and self-paced activities to do at home.
Other upcoming Big Read events include:
Paper Making Workshop
- Mon, Nov 11, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (Main Library)
Art+Poetry Workshops
- Wed, Sep 25, 6:00pm – 7:00pm (Main Library)
- Sun, Oct 13, 4:00pm – 5:00pm (Booked, 506 Main Street)
- Wed, Nov 13, 6:00pm – 7:00pm (Main Library)
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
