NEA The Big Read:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is The Big Read?
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.
Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Big Read in the Pacific Northwest is also supported, in part, by a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.
The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 30 selections from American and world literature. This initiative supports innovative reading programs in selected communities, providing engaging educational resources for discussing outstanding literature and conducting expansive outreach and publicity campaigns, and a Web site offering comprehensive information about the authors and their works. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.
Each community's Big Read includes a kick-off event to launch the program; activities devoted specifically to its Big Read selection (e.g., panel discussions, lectures, public readings); events using the book as a point of departure (e.g., film screenings, theatrical readings, exhibits); and book discussions in diverse locations aimed at a wide range of audiences.
2. Why has The Big Read been developed?
The Big Read was created in response to the 2004 National Endowment for the Arts report Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, which identified a critical decline in literary reading. The study showed that literary reading was declining among all age groups, with the steepest decline in the youngest age groups.
A 2007 follow-up report, To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, indicated that not only were Americans reading less, they were also reading less well, and these declines in reading have civic, social, and economic implications. To Read or Not To Read assembled data on reading trends from more than two dozen sources, including federal agencies, universities, foundations, and associations.
Reading on the Rise, an NEA research brochure based on a 2008 study, showed an uptick in reading rates. In support of this new trend, the NEA continues to work to reengage American readers and encourage reluctant readers by awarding grants for local Big Read projects and by improving access to the art of literature.
3. Does The Big Read include poetry?
In 2007, the National Endowment for the Arts created American Literary Landmarks, a new component of The Big Read to celebrate great American poets and the nation's historic poetry sites. The NEA provides these sites with grants and educational and promotional materials similar to those created for the national Big Read program. Educational materials for American Literary Landmarks are made possible through the generous support of the Poetry Foundation. The pilot initiative featured poets Robinson Jeffers, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Emily Dickinson. Any organizations that applied for the 2009-10 grant cycle were able to choose one of these poets as the focus for its Big Read. Chicago poet Carl Sandburg will be added to The Big Read for the 2010-11 grant cycle.
4. Is there an international component to The Big Read?
The 2009-10 catalog for The Big Read includes three titles of outstanding literature from other countries: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Russian author Leo Tolstoy; Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories, edited by Jorge H. Hernández; and The Thief and the Dogs by Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz. The application process for these titles is the same as for all other Big Read books.
Organizations that apply for one of these international Big Read selections should explore local resources that will illuminate the literature and culture of the relevant country. In addition, once grantees for these titles are selected, the NEA International Activities staff, in cooperation with Arts Midwest, will work on possible ways to enhance local programming. With the assistance of U.S. and foreign embassies and consulates, it may be possible to coordinate additional activities such as visits from writers, scholars, and/or critics from Egypt, Mexico, or Russia.
5. How do you select the featured works for The Big Read?
We have a Readers Circle—a distinguished group of writers, scholars, librarians, critics, artists, and publishing professionals—who recommend the next Big Read books for American communities to share. The complete catalog of Big Read titles is available on the Our Books page.
6. How are the community organizations selected to participate in The Big Read?
The application and guidelines for The Big Read, developed by the Arts Endowment and Arts Midwest, are distributed nationwide to arts, cultural, literary, and civic organizations, such as libraries, museums, and local arts agencies. Organizations chosen to receive a Big Read grant are selected by a panel of experts who review the proposed project for artistic excellence and merit. Competitive applications demonstrate experience in building strong local partnerships, reaching and engaging new and diverse audiences, working with educators, involving local and state public officials, and working with media.
7. What do community organizations receive if they are selected to participate in The Big Read?
Selected organizations receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to support their Big Read projects. One of the major benefits of The Big Read for selected community organizations is the availability of high-quality educational and promotional materials provided in large quantities at no cost to the organizations.
The Big Read grantees receive the following educational and promotional materials:
- Reader's Guides contain an introduction to the featured book or poet, historical context, background on the writer, information about related works, and discussion questions. Reader's Guides also are available in Spanish for several Big Read titles.
- Teacher's Guides contain lesson plans and other resources geared toward middle and high school students. The guides can be used in the classroom or by the school library media specialist. Teacher's Guides adhere to National Council of Teachers of English standards.
- The Big Read Audio Guides feature readings from The Big Read titles along with commentary from renowned artists, educators, and public figures such as Robert Redford, Colin Powell, and Mary-Louise Parker, and Big Read authors such as Amy Tan and Ray Bradbury. Audio guides can also be used as radio programming.
- Big Read publicity materials include posters, banners, and bookmarks. Participating organizations also have access to professionally produced audio and video public service announcements for select titles.
Participating Big Read organizations receive training prior to starting their projects at an annual orientation. Presentations include various components of hosting a Big Read such as working with community partners and developing a public relations strategy. Participants are encouraged to exchange ideas about their selected Big Read titles with both new and returning grantees. Small group sessions include book discussions and question-and-answer sessions on components such as working with publishers and involving schools. Big Read grantees also have access to a comprehensive Big Read Web site, which includes a virtual organizer's guide for running a successful Big Read program, downloadable public relations templates and design elements, and a forum for exchanging ideas with other participants.
8. I'm not a grantee. Can I obtain copies of the Reader's, Teacher's, or Audio Guides?
The printed educational materials are created and distributed to Big Read grantees. In order to make Big Read materials available nationwide free-of-charge, the Reader's and Teacher's guides are also posted in the Our Books section of this Web site. The Audio Guides will be added to this Web site in 2009 on an ongoing basis.
9. How can I apply for The Big Read?
The application deadline for the 2009-10 grant cycle for Big Read programming has now passed. Application guidelines for 2010-11 are expected to be made available at on the application process page in fall 2009.