BIG READ GRAPES OF WRATH BOOK DISCUSSION

The Amherst Town Library is offering an engaging facilitated book discussion of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath on Thursday evening, October 13^th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Johnson Meeting Room. Led by Souhegan High School English teachers Steve Dreher and Amy Pham, this is wonderful opportunity for our community to come together to learn, reflect, and listen to each other as the themes of the book are so very relevant in our current times.  This event is part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read going on in 16 southern New Hampshire communities.  All are welcome to join us—whether you have read the book or have not read the book—there will definitely be food for thought!

Reporter Alan Yuhas, in an April 14, 2014 article in The Guardian entitled, “The Grapes of Wrath is 75 years old and more relevant than ever,” wrote: “The Grapes of Wrath,” published 75 years ago today [April 14, 1939], means just as much to the United States now as it did in 1939, when the Dust Bowl destroyed the American west, the economy lay in tatters, a minority held the keys to the bank, and a vast migrant population wandered without homes or rights.”  Themes of man’s inhumanity to man, the saving power of family of fellowship, the dignity of wrath, and the effects of selfishness and altruism will be explored.

Co-facilitator Amy Pham graduated from the University of Massachusetts with her Bachelor in English and a Master in Education.  She has taught high school English for the past 27 years with the last 21 at Souhegan High School.  Co-facilitator Steve Dreher is an English teacher at Souhegan High School where he currently teaches World Literature and AP English and Composition.  Steve received a Bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Vermont and a Master from the University of New England.  Steve has been a teacher for 24 years, 20 of which have been at Souhegan.

NEA Big Read http://www.neabigread.org/ is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.  This project also was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org

All programs offered at the Amherst Town Library are free and open to the public. However, registration is REQUIRED for each program due to space limitations. You can register for this event by calling 673-2288, emailing library@amherstlibrary.org  or by visiting our website at www.amherstlibrary.org  and selecting the “Community Services” tab, then click on drop down “Sign-Up for Programs.”  To see all the Big Read events go to http://fireseedalliance.org