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Join us for our 2024 NEA Big Read Kick Off celebrating The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui! Join Arts & Ideas for activities, grab your free copy of the book, meet our partners, and fellowship!
The 2024 NEA Big Read book is Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do. Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do (Abrams ComicArts, 2017) has been selected for an American Book Award, a Common Book for UCLA and other colleges and universities, an all-city read by Seattle and San Francisco public libraries, a National Book Critics Circle finalist in autobiography, and an Eisner Award finalist in reality-based comics.
The Best We Could Do explores themes of displacement, migration, cultural identity, family, history and intergenerational healing. Through book discussions, film, storytelling, conversation, visual and performance art the International Festival of Arts & Ideas along with its partners will create interactive and thought-provoking programming. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
AGE GROUP: | Teens (13-17) | Family and Children (6-12) | Family and Children (0-5) | Adults (18+) |
EVENT TYPE: | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Literacy and Language | Education and Lifelong Learning | Civic and Community Engagement |
TAGS: | partnerships | one city one read | nea | big read | arts and ideas |
The Stetson Library is the go-to cultural arts space for programs and events resonating with the predominantly African-American community of Stetson’s service area. Stetson Library is the cornerstone of the Q House revival. Throughout the year, Stetson partners with local organizations to bring social services to residents and among its continuing programs Stetson focuses on healthy lifestyles, youth development, mentoring and programming for teens at risk.
2019 Recipient of National Medal for