MENDOCINO COUNTY TO READ AND CELEBRATE PRETTY MONSTERS
FROM Oct. 1st to Nov. 17th

JODY GEHRMAN KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR NEA BIG READ

Kelly Link's short story collection Pretty Monsters has been called "an alchemical mixture of Borges, Raymond Chandler, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Salon. Time describes it as "a place few writers go, a netherworld between literature and fantasy, Alice Munro and J.K. Rowling...Link finds truths there that most authors wouldn’t dare touch." Join novelist, playwright and Mendocino College professor Jody Gehrman as she leads a community discussion exploring this extraordinary collection of stories, with special emphasis on the Hugo, Nebula and Locus award winning story "The Faery Handbag." Copies of Pretty Monsters will be available free at your local branch starting in October while supplies last.

Join us for a discussion with Jody Gehrman at your branch:

• Fort Bragg Library - Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 @ 3:00
• Coast Community Library - Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018 @ 2:00
• Round Valley Library - Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 @ 3:00
• Willits Library - Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 @ 4:00
• Ukiah Library - Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 @ 5:00

The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.

Mendocino County Library will partner with local groups such as The Mendocino County Museum, The Arts Council of Mendocino County, the National Parks Service Natural Landmarks Program of the Pacific West Region, and Mendocino County Parks. In addition to book discussions led by local author Jody Gehrman,the library will feature craft, poetry, and writing workshop, a nature hike, an art contest and much more.

Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $19 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past eleven years, grantees have leveraged more than $44 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 4.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 82,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, please visit arts.gov/neabigread.

The Mendocino County Library is a free public library committed to providing open access to all its collections and services through its five branches, bookmobile, and online at www.mendolibrary.org which is available 24-hours a day. The library branches are fantastic community resources providing books and other materials, as well as gathering places featuring educational, thought provoking, and creative program for all ages.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.