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| Tuesday, 23 October 2007 | |
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'The Big Read’ in Westchester Sunnyside to Host Community Book Discussion of Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
TARRYTOWN, NY (Oct. 23, 2007) — Sunnyside is the romantic cottage home of 19th-century author Washington Irving, who penned such American classics as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” But on Tuesday, November 13, the historic site — now a museum open to the public — plays host to a discussion of another classic of American literature, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Readers, listeners, and talkers are invited to Sunnyside to participate in a lively conversation about Hurston’s classic short novel, first published in 1937. This free program is one of many events relating to the book and to Hurston that are being coordinated in Westchester as part of “The Big Read.” Participants should register by calling 914-591-8763 Ext. 13, or e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest, presented in Westchester by the Westchester Arts Council in partnership with Purchase College and the Westchester Library System. It is designed to promote the simple pleasure of reading by encouraging entire communities to read and discuss a single book. Participants can choose from one of two 90-minute sessions being offered at Sunnyside on November 13, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. The morning session will be led by Margaret L. Vetare, Historic Hudson Valley’s Director of Interpretation. The evening session will be led by Dina Rose Friedman, Site Director of Sunnyside. Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered an African-American feminist classic. Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA, describes Hurston’s work as an “achingly human novel” that “narrates Janie Crawford’s ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her own destiny….The syncopated beauty of Hurston’s prose, her remarkable gift for comedy, the sheer visceral terror of the book’s climax, all transcend any label that critics have tried to put on this remarkable work.”
Sunnyside is a property of Historic Hudson Valley, a network of six historic sites.
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