Hello to everyone participating in the 2017 Holland Area Big Read! I hope everyone is enjoying When the Emperor was Divine and the events that are happening around Holland! Last night’s Big Read event was the Raion Taiko Drumming Performance at Dimnent Chapel, and the six drummers did an outstanding job! I’d never heard of …
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This is Why I Do the Big Read
“What was your favorite part of the kick-off event?” As I asked this simple question in my 10th grade English class at West Ottawa High School, hands shot in the air! Each year when my students read the book chosen for Holland’s Big Read, I require that they attend at least one event of their …
The Big Kick-off
This Wednesday was the official kickoff for the 2017 Big Read. The book this year is When the Emperor was Divine, a heartbreaking and endearing story about a family that is forced to live in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. The novel, written by Julie Otsuka, explains the story of her family history and …
…So What Exactly is The Big Read?
Hey there Holland friends! October is winding down and preparations for the Big Read are ramping up! We’re excited to see many of you at our events next month, but you might be reading this and thinking to yourself, what exactly is this “Big Read” thing? We’re with you! The Big Read is an octopus …
The Big Preview 2017
Gold-tinged leaves glowing on maple trees, flannel-donned students filling Hope’s campus, and cider slushes in the hands of downtown shoppers… all signs that The Big Read Holland Area is right around the corner! Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine is this fall’s star and there are events available for every member of our community to …
2017 Book Announced!
The Big Read Holland Area will return this fall, supported for the fourth consecutive year by an award to Hope College through the NEA Big Read. This year’s program at Hope, running across the first three weeks in November, will feature Julie Otsuka’s book When the Emperor Was Divine. When the Emperor Was Divine transports …
Student Art Exhibition of Learning
The final Big Read Event for Edwidge Danticat’s memoir “Brother, I’m Dying” took place on November 17th, from 7-9 pm at the Holland Armory. This event focused on local high school students’ artwork from area schools such as West Ottawa, Holland High, Holland Christian, and Zeeland Christian, along with pieces from Hope College. Some of …
Poverty, Inc. Screening
At 7pm on November 10th, students, faculty, and Holland community members filled almost every seat of the Knickerbocker Theatre for a screening of the 2014 documentary Poverty, Inc. Directed and produced by Michael Matheson Miller, Poverty, Inc. questions the impact of modern charities, foreign aid, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their influence on local entrepreneurship …
Coffee and Conversation
The fourth Big Read Holland Area book discussion this year took place on November 8th at Biggby Coffee. Lead by Professor Tato and the Big Read Student Committee, several Hope students as well as a high school student joined together to look at many dimensions of Danticat’s memoir. Those in attendance had a rich discussion …
La Belle Vie: The Good Life
“It’s in each of us. It’s our own interpretation.” On Monday, November 7 at 7:00pm, a screening of La Belle Vie took place at the Knickerbocker theater. It was followed by a Q and A with the filmmakers, Rachelle Salnave and Jean H. Marcelin. Nearly 200 people attended the event, consisting of community members and …