BONFIRES AND BOOKS DON’T MIX: Most Wyomingites won't make it to the Oddfellows Hall in Enterprise, Oregon, tonight (March 13) for gala “Big Read” program. Too bad, because this Fishtrap-sponsored event focuses on “censorship of books and newspapers and the rights and responsibilities of open discussion in a democracy.” It will feature a discussion by Bob Caldwell, editorial page editor at the Portland Oregonian; MaryKay Dahlgreen, children's literature coordinator at the Oregon State Library; and Christopher Zinn, director of the Oregon Council for the Humanities. Guest speaker will be Amy Stolls, writer and assistant director of the NEA Literature Program, main sponsor for “Big Read.” This event is the culmination of a month-long program in which residents of Wallowa and Union County read and discussed Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel “Fahrenheit 451.” During that time, high school students read the book over local radio station KWVR and some 250 people attended a viewing of the 1966 movie based on the book. The local film club also screened "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Brazil," and "Handmaid's Tale," all movies that address government intrusion into people’s lives. Tonight’s events will close with a bonfire, and an open invitation for people to recite poems and stories they remember from childhood or have learned for the occasion. Those who have read “Fahrenheit 451” know that in portrays a future in which all books are burned by “firemen” and a few dedicated souls keep important literature alive by memorizing it and passing it on to following generations.
