2007.02.27: February 27, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: Literature: The Salinas Californian: Sam Farr, D-Carmel, will mark the 105th anniversary of Salinas-born author John Steinbeck by reading a passage of “The Grapes of Wrath” on the Floor of the U.S. House
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2007.02.27: February 27, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: Literature: The Salinas Californian: Sam Farr, D-Carmel, will mark the 105th anniversary of Salinas-born author John Steinbeck by reading a passage of “The Grapes of Wrath” on the Floor of the U.S. House
Sam Farr, D-Carmel, will mark the 105th anniversary of Salinas-born author John Steinbeck by reading a passage of “The Grapes of Wrath” on the Floor of the U.S. House
"Today we celebrate the birth of John Steinbeck, one of my community's famous native sons and one of our country's greatest authors,” Farr said. “As a citizen of Monterey County, I salute the National Steinbeck Center for their efforts to keep Steinbeck's spirit alive and I am proud to offer my own participation in their Big Read by highlighting Steinbeck's prose on the House floor tonight. Steinbeck's insights into American life still resonate today, especially in the Salinas Valley where the cyclical nature of the agriculture industry continues to shape our lives.” Congressman Sam Farr of California served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia in the 1960's.
Sam Farr, D-Carmel, will mark the 105th anniversary of Salinas-born author John Steinbeck by reading a passage of “The Grapes of Wrath” on the Floor of the U.S. House
Farr joins Big Read from House floor
Congressman marks John Steinbeck's 105th Anniversary
Staff report
This evening, Congressman Sam Farr, D-Carmel, will mark the 105th anniversary of Salinas-born author John Steinbeck by reading a passage of “The Grapes of Wrath” on the Floor of the U.S. House. Farr’s reading will be part of the National Steinbeck Center’s efforts to involve everyone in Monterey County in reading The Grapes of Wrath this month as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read Program.
Farr will take part in The Big Read from the Floor of the U.S. House Representatives after votes are finished at approximately 7 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. in Monterey County. The speech will be carried live on C-SPAN.
"Today we celebrate the birth of John Steinbeck, one of my community's famous native sons and one of our country's greatest authors,” Farr said. “As a citizen of Monterey County, I salute the National Steinbeck Center for their efforts to keep Steinbeck's spirit alive and I am proud to offer my own participation in their Big Read by highlighting Steinbeck's prose on the House floor tonight. Steinbeck's insights into American life still resonate today, especially in the Salinas Valley where the cyclical nature of the agriculture industry continues to shape our lives.”
Farr will read a vignette of Dust Bowl life from The Grapes of Wrath. The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas launched their Big Read program this past weekend with local community leaders and volunteers reading portions of The Grapes of Wrath aloud at the museum. The museum will host readings and discussions on the book throughout the month of March. A full calendar of events can be found at www.steinbeck.org.
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. The initiative was developed in response to a 2004 NEA report, Reading at Risk, which found that literary reading in America is declining rapidly among all groups, especially among the young. The Big Read provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities and includes innovative reading programs across the country.
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Headlines: February, 2007; RPCV Sam Farr (Colombia); Figures; Peace Corps Colombia; Directory of Colombia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Colombia RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Writing; California
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Story Source: The Salinas Californian
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Colombia; Politics; Congress; Literature
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