Discussions Set For 'One Book' Project; Author Boyle To Visit Sept. 21 - University News Service

University of Iowa News Release

Sept. 6, 2006

Discussions Set For 'One Book' Project; Author Boyle To Visit Sept. 21

Johnson County residents participating in the sixth annual reading project, "One Community, One Book-All Johnson County Reads," will have opportunities to meet other readers and share their reactions at any of the eight community discussion forums scheduled from mid-September through October. This year's book is "The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle, who will visit Iowa City for a public lecture and discussion session at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 in the Iowa Memorial Union's second-floor ballroom on the University of Iowa campus.

This countywide reading project is sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights (UICHR) and a variety of community and university groups and organizations. It is open to all community members interested in broadening their understanding of human rights through reading. The project runs from Sept. 17 through Nov. 11.

Boyle's novel is the story of two couples on a collision course - Los Angeles liberals living in a newly gated hilltop community and undocumented Mexican immigrants desperately clinging to their vision of the American Dream in a makeshift camp deep in the ravine. As their opposing worlds gradually intersect, the novel questions who gets to slam the door on whom.

Boyle will also be a guest on Talk of Iowa on WSUI 910 AM at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22 live from The Java House, 211 E. Washington, with host Ben Kieffer.

Dorothy M. Paul, UICHR associate director for community affairs and coordinator of the project, said that the project has greatly expanded. This year, the UI Alumni Association (UIAA) will provide a university online resource site linked to other project websites for the 18,000 UI alumni and readers who live in Johnson and nearby counties. A new forum location is the West Liberty Public Library. In addition, the project will continue to reach inmates at the Iowa

Medical Classification Center at Oakdale, where a discussion will be held on Sept. 28.

A schedule of the upcoming community forums, which are all free and open to the public, follows:

Sept. 19, 3:30 p.m.: West High School Library; Facilitator: Beth Belding, 688-1050

Sept. 25, 7 p.m.: North Liberty Community Library Study Room; Facilitator: Jennie Garner, 626-5731. Open to individuals, but families will be special guests

Sept. 27, Noon to 1 p.m.: Iowa City Public Library Community Forum with Panel, Room A; Facilitator: Andrea Clinkenbeard, 356-5200

Sept. 28, 7 p.m.: Barnes & Noble Booksellers; Facilitator: Pat Schnack, 351-2876

Oct. 4, 7 p.m.: West Liberty Public Library Conference Room; Facilitator: Jeanette McMahon, 627-2084. As part of this forum, the film, "El Norte" will be shown, Oct. 8, 2:30 p.m. in the same room location.

Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.: Coralville Public Library; Facilitator: Joyce Carman, 356-5220

Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.: University Libraries, Iowa Women's Archives; Facilitators: Karen Mason and Rachel Correon, 335-5068

Oct. 19, 2 to 4 p.m.: The Center (Iowa City Senior Center), Room 205; Facilitator: Joyce Carman, 356-5220

For additional information on these forums or special accommodations to attend any of these readings, contact Dorothy M. Paul, UICHR associate director for community affairs, at 338-1230, dorothy-paul@uiowa.edu.

For details about the overall project, consult the UICHR web site http://www.uichr.org where pertinent discussion notes and questions are posted.

"One Community, One Book-All Johnson County Reads" began in 2001, sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights, The UI International Writing Program and Prairie Lights Books. Each are sponsoring the project again this year together with Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Coralville Public Library, Hancher Auditorium, Hills Bank & Trust Company, Iowa Book LLC, Iowa City Human Rights Commission, Iowa City Public Library, Iowa State Bank & Trust

Company, North Liberty Community Library, UI Alumni Association, UI Charter Committee on Human Rights, UI Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, UI Department of English, UI International Programs, UI Libraries, UI School of Social Work, UI Writers' Workshop, University Book Store and the University Lecture Committee. West High School is also a participant in the project.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.

CONTACTS: Media: Lois Gray, 319-335-2026, lois-gray@uiowa.edu; Program: Dorothy M. Paul, 319-338-1230, dorothy-paul@uiowa.edu.