LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Big Read proudly presents a month of program events this October in connection with featured reading selection “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan.
Two exhibits, one focusing on art and writing, and the other on local history, are in full swing, through local partnerships and volunteer efforts.
Entries for both literature and art in any medium – no larger than 11 inches by 14 inches, framed and ready to hang – are due by Sept. 24 at noon to the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport.
There will be a judging of entries and featured work will be on display at the gallery for the First Friday Fling event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 4. Lajour and Cougars Leap wines will be poured, along with entertainment by Michael Barrish on guitar. This event is free and open to the public.
A mother/daughter photo exhibit will be on display at the Lake County Office of Education building in October, coordinated by volunteer curators Patti and Fallon Diener.
Community members are asked to contribute a framed photograph depicting a mother and daughter relationship, including a brief description of the photo’s content.
All photographs will be safely stored and can be brought to the LCOE office or to Robin Fogel-Shrive at Carlé High School in Lower Lake by Sept. 27.
Mother/daughter relationships are at the heart of the novel, and this is an opportunity to bring people together to appreciate our own mother/daughter connections.
A gallery walk is scheduled for Oct. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.
Two teacher events are scheduled for the first week of programming. The Little Read Professional Development for K-5 educators will take place on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the LCOE office in Lakeport.
Copies of Amy Tan’s “The Moon Lady” and a story for the youngest of readers, “Mooncakes,” will be provided.
These books, and curriculum created by members of the Lake/Mendocino Reading Council, will be available for each elementary school in Lake County.
Refreshments will be provided and the event is free of charge. To register, visit the LCOE Web site at www.lakecoe.org and click on The Big Read page.
Secondary English and Language Arts teachers are invited to meet for an informal curriculum discussion at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1:30 p.m.
This opportunity to collaborate will precede the Book Launch party featuring keynote speaker Cathy Kroll at 4 p.m.
Dr. Kroll, assistant professor of English at Sonoma State University, is a specialist in world literature. She will be speaking on the relevance of “The Joy Luck Club” today in her talk entitled, “Tiger Mothers, ‘Lean In’ Mothers, and Millennials – The Joy Luck Club’s Fierce Endurance.”
The book launch event is free and open to the public. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by visiting the LCOE Web site’s Big Read page.
For a complete and updated listing of Big Read events, visit the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Web site at www.neabigread.org or the LCOE Web site at www.lakecoe.org .
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Arts Midwest. Lake County is one of 77 communities in the U.S. to receive grant funding to support reading efforts.
For more information, contact Lake County Big Read program director Robin Fogel-Shrive at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .