Groton Public Library Endowment Trust
Groton Public Library events calendar
For more information about this event, please call the library:978-448-8000
| GrotonREADS! 2007 Made possible with the support of The Groton Public Library Endowment Fund |
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Selected book: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien |
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After a review of more than 24 books, the Groton Public Library announces the title chosen for GrotonREADS! 2007. By an impressive majority the members of the Book Selection Committee cast their votes for The Things They Carried by Cambridge author Tim O’Brien.
GrotonREADS! is a community-wide program presented by the Groton Public Library where adults and high school teenagers are invited to read the same book during a period that begins in mid-February and runs through the end of March. Through its Endowment Fund, the Groton Public Library distributed free copies of The Things They Carried. Beginning February 13, a limited supply was available at the library circulation desk for those who did not have their own copy of the book or who were unable to check one out of the library [sorry, all the free copies are now gone]. The book is also available on audio cassette or CD. People interested in participating in GrotonREADS! may register at the library in person or by phone at 978-448-1167. All those registered will receive a raffle ticket for prizes to be awarded at the close of GrotonREADS! There will be six different events for Groton residents to choose among and raffle tickets will be given at each event so that participants can increase their chances of winning one of several prizes. All events will be held in Sibley Hall at the Library:
All GrotonREADS! ’07 events are free and open to all. Click here to sign up online for one of these sessions. More about the book: The Things They Carried is a collection of interrelated short pieces, each one written with care and emotion depicting the men of Alpha Company in Vietnam. They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear, their friendship and loyalty. The Things They Carried is a testament to those who risked their lives in America’s most controversial war. It is classic American literature with timeliness and relevance for today. . . a reminder of the personal side of war—the courage, determination and the capacity–and limits–of the human heart and soul. Tim O’Brien served as a foot soldier in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970, after which he pursued graduate studies in government at Harvard University. The Things They Carried was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. This year, GrotonREADS! will include events to support and extend the reading experience, including a showing of a work-in-progress by local filmmaker Minh Aragbright, entitled “From Vietnam to Groton, Massachusetts.” Minh’s film, the first in a proposed trilogy, tells the story of an American soldier in Vietnam, whose experiences as a non-combatant are very different from what we have come to expect. The library is collaborating with area high schools, senior centers, Groton veterans, and the GPL Book Group to extend participation of this dynamic, educational, thought-provoking and fun program. |
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