Celebrate the Big Read Lynchburg and Oktoberfest

This week we're having two book discussion at Daddy Bim's Barbeque on Old Forest Road at 7pm on October 28th and 29th. Come out, discuss the book, and check out Daddy Bim's special Oktoberfest Supper Club. The menu consists of:

- Shrimp and sausage potato pancakes with sour cream sauce and Granny Smith apple coleslaw
- Bavarian Beer Cheese Soup with toasted onion ring
- Daddy Bim's Own Sauerbraten and Braised Red Cabbage with roasted new potatoes
- Black Forest Bread pudding with Chocolate cherry Brandy Sauce

The supper club is $25--and trust me, it's enough food to take home in a box. Make reservations for the supper club menu at 847-5003. If Oktoberfest isn't your cup of tea, Daddy Bim's fabulous regular menu is also available.

Scorpy reads Fahrenheit 451

Did you know that even Scorpy read Fahrenheit 451? You can read this and all of Scorpy's adventures at his new site.

We still have several exciting Big Read events coming up!

** October 26, Erin Dunn will be moderating a discussion on Censorship in Art and Literature at the Maier Museum at 2pm!

** Join us at book discussions at Daddy Bim's Barbeque on October 28th & 29th at 7pm -- call (434) 847-5003 to make a reservation for their Oktoberfest themed supper club.

** Amazement Square is hosting a poetry slam on November 6th. We want to see all you aspiring poets out for a wonderful evening of sharing and listening!

Bulldog and Tomcat Ideas

Last night I got to see Heritage High School's excellent production of Fahrenheit 451. I wanted to share Director Larry Hart's comments from the playbill about the play and book.

"In a world..." -- to steal the ever popular opening line of so many movie trailers spoken by the late great Don LaFontaine-- but seriously; in a world where the printed word is outlawed what happens to individuality and the life of the mind? While such a scenario may seem far fetched to many, to others it may seem chillingly similar to our modern reality.

The ironies at the heart of Fire Chief Beatty make him, in my opinion, the most memorable character in Ray Bradbury's classic novel. Many of his lines, though first put down on paper over a half a century ago, ring truer today than when they were first written.

Examples:

"... Zip, bam, whip, run, jump, lots of action, plenty of scores... Organize and super organize super-super sports so you talk all the time, but all the talk is scores, nice safe stuff, scores for basketball, scores for baseball, football, tennnis, scores, scores, no substances, no politics, no philosophy, not a shred of a bulldog or tomcat idea... let's have a nation where everyone is not only born equal but damn well crushed down and made equal, right? Right!"

So, in a world where a 52" flat screen television consumes one whole wall of the "family room" and where sports occupy a complete section of the newspaper and the evening news, not to mention many channels reserved exclusively for specific sports on the dish-- golf channel, anyone?-- in this world, perhaps it is not so inconceivable to imagine that society might just give up on the printed word.

I've heard it told many times that Fahrenheit 451 was considered very controversial when it was first printed and that, ironically enough, it was banned by several conservative groups. I have heard also that Ray Bradbury's inspiration for the novel came from the book burning in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. I'm pleased that Amazement Square has joined with the Big Read and offered the city of Lynchburg such a challenging book to bring us all out of our comfort zones. Hopefully, we will be inspired by both book and play to talk about its major themes and broader implications to our world and to our future. I'm honored to be a part of this project and to be able to share this great work with so many open minded young people. It is my desire that they will leave this show thrilled with theneed to share every bulldog or tomcat idea that they have with the entire world and not just live their lives statistically.

L. Biff Hart
Director of Pioneer Theater

Thanks Larry and the whole cast for such an awesome show!

Heritage High School's Pioneer Theater is presenting the stage adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 this week! The show is running October 16 - 18 at 7pm with a matinee at 2pm on the 19th.

The play is going to be really great and we hope to see as many people as possible out to support the cast and crew's hard work, as well as supporting the Big Read! We look forward to seeing you there!

Caught reading!

Have you seen our flickr yet? We have pictures from our events, as well as some of our Big Read themed Scorpy series available. We're hosting a special Flickr contest, where we challenge you to submit a picture reading Fahrenheit 451 in the most creative location. We'd love to see where you guys are reading!

We were sent this website today that explores different literary quotations and allusions used in Fahrenheit 451. It's amazing stuff--especially since Bradbury wrote the book in only nine days!

Finally, tonight we're having a book discussion at Barnes and Noble booksellers and tomorrow we'll be screening the film in Amazement Square's Education Warehouse. We'll see you there!

The Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug Explores the Big Read Lynchburg

Have you all been reading the Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug this week? Scorpy has been exploring all sorts of Big Read events. Rumor has it that he'll be reading Fahrenheit 451 next week.

If you missed it in the paper, here are Scorpy's Big Read adventures: