The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, in partnership with the Alachua County Library District, and the UF College of the Arts, cordially invite you to the kick-off event for the Big Read, our year-long celebration of Zora Neale Hurston and the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Hosted at the Headquarters Library (401 E. University Avenue) from 6-8 PM on Wednesday, September 18, this event is open to the public and will include free copies of Hurston’s novel and light refreshments. Speakers will include Dr. Porchia Moore, Dr. Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas, and Florence M. Turcotte. The speakers will address the importance of Zora Neale Hurston to Florida, her work as an anthropologist and folklorist, as well as themes of the novel, and will offer a preview of future events in this series.
Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Eatonville, Florida, and went to school in Eatonville and Jacksonville. Many of her works are set in Florida, and she is buried in Ft. Pierce. The University of Florida holds many of her papers. Dr. Porchia Moore, a member of the Big Read team, commented that “with this NEA Big Read initiative our entire community can come together and uplift the memory of Zora and in doing so learn more about themselves through her adventures and contributions as a storyteller, a researcher, and an advocate of archiving vibrant Florida living. She connects critical dots between the Deep South, the Black Atlantic, and the African Diaspora using our beloved Florida as the landscape of her imaginative creative space.”
These events are made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest for the Big Read initiative, which encourages communities to find common ground in reading books of cultural and historical significance. The award for Alachua County participants of $15,000 will allow multiple events and support speaker honoraria, venue costs, art supplies and refreshments, and books that are freely available to the community. As Dr. Moore says, “We have activities planned for everyone in our community whether you are an educator, a student, a parent, a friend, an explorer, a lover of books, or someone who has never read Zora’s books or heard her name. This will be one of the most exciting community-based initiatives in memory which fosters literacy, learning, creativity, and fun for all centering on one of the most important Black historical figures of all time whose books and scholarship is read around the world. Join us!”
Attendance at the kick-off event will also be possible via Zoom. For information about virtual participation please contact Jennifer Hofer (jennh@ufl.edu) or consult the guide to all events at https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/BigRead.
