LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Library 2023 NEA Big Read is underway with a schedule of events that will include writing workshops, book discussions, and more offered through Saturday, March 25.

The first week of the 2023 NEA Big Read marks the first of three poetry readings to be offered during this year’s programming.

Taste of Poetry with Richard Schmidt
Saturday, Feb. 11, 2 p.m.
Join local author and Lake County Poet Laureate Emeritus Richard Schmidt for a poetry reading at the Lakeport Library. The event will feature readings from Lake and Mendocino County poets including Michael Riedell, Dan Barth, Mimi Whitaker and more. Location: Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St.

Big Read 2023 Author Event
Saturday, March 18, 1 to 3 p.m.
Join the Lake County Library and Lake County Friends of Mendocino College in welcoming the author of Postcolonial Love Poem, Natalie Diaz, for a virtual poetry reading, discussion, and Q&A. This event will take place on Zoom and will be live streamed from the Mendocino College Lake Campus Round Room and all four branches of the Lake County Library.
Location: Mendocino College 2565 Parallel Drive, Lakeport, or your nearest library branch in Lakeport, Clearlake, Upper Lake or Middletown.

Poets Laureate Reading
Saturday, March 25, 1 to 2 p.m.
Join Lake County Poet Laureate Georgina Marie Guardado for a poetry reading featuring California's new State Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, Ukiah Poet Laureate Emerita Linda Noel, Alameda Poet Laureate Kimi Sugioka, and Ukiah Poet Laureate Emeritus Jabez Churchill. The featured Poets Laureate will read original work and select poems by Natalie Diaz. Location: Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St.

The public is invited to attend all NEA Big Read events at no cost, and free books are provided at each event and all library branches until supply runs out.

To view the full schedule of events, go to http://www.lakecountybigread.com/.

Follow the Big Read on Facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyBigRead/.

The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, which seeks to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery.

Visit https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/nea-big-read for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s at https://artsmidwest.org/ for more information.