Big Read Texas celebrates Asian heritage

The Big Read is a program started by the National Endowment for the Arts in order to "create a nation of readers." The program aims to combat the decline of reading for recreation and reading as a community. Be honest, when was the last time you visited your local library? Uh-huh, that's what we thought. The idea behind this program is to pick one book and encourage everyone in a community to read it, then get together and talk about it. The program began in ten communities last year and has since expanded to include our very own city.

This month, Big Read Texas is reading Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. The novel tells the story of four Chinese women who have immigrated to San Francisco in the 1940s, and continues their stories 40 years later. It details their lives and hopes as well as their tragedies and losses. Appropriate, since May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Events include book discussions and movie screenings that will be going on for the rest of the month at local libraries. There are also events that celebrate Asian culture, like bonsai, origami, and tai chi - not to be confused with chai tea - instruction.

This weekend, Big Read Texas and the Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Association will present a theatrical presentation of The Joy Luck Club at Barnevelder Arts Complex. You can also pick up a free Reader's Guide to the novel at any Randall's location. Happy reading!