Reading "The Grapes of Wrath"
attracts thousands of people across the state
Thousands of Californians responded to CCH's invitation to read John Steinbeck's novel and share stories of their California experiences. People packed high-profile lectures, performances, art exhibits, films and discussion groups. Almost 200 libraries as well as a host of other community organizations held events.
"Reading The Grapes of Wrath, which we conducted in partnership with the California Center for the Book and the California State Library, exceeded all our expectations and reinforced our belief in the importance of stories in strengthening communities," said CCH Executive Director Jim Quay. "People not only read Steinbeck's book, they also came together to share stories and discuss issues with their neighbors. We were extremely pleased with the outcome because we believe that these kinds of programs truly make a difference in community life. We were also pleased with the tremendous job done by public libraries in California, as well as the work conducted by all our other partners. It was a magnificent effort."
The scope of the effort was remarkable. The CCH website, which served as the main repository of information for the program, listed almost 1,000 separate events. These included such special programs as a teen essay contest sponsored by the San Rafael Public Library, a 24-hour readathon at a Fresno Krispy Kreme sponsored by the Fresno County Library, and a conversation with writer T.C. Boyle sponsored by the San Diego Public Library.
Many libraries held more than a dozen events. The Sacramento Public Library sponsored 18 programs, one of the largest in its history. Included was a talk by award-winning author, PBS NewsHour commentator and Sacramento native Richard Rodriguez that drew 300 people, a presentation by Jan Goggins, an expert on the photography of Dorothea Lange, and an evening with David Masumoto, a writer and farmer (and former CCH board chair), who operates a raisin farm in Del Rey, Calif.
The San Diego and Contra Costa Libraries also held an astonishing array of events. San Diego had more than 30 programs, which, in addition to the T.C. Boyle event, included a Grapes of Wrath book discussion in Vietnamese. And the Contra Costa Libraries sponsored 37 events, including a teen poetry slam.
The sheer variety of the programs characterized the statewide project as much as their quantity. In Chico, for example, some 80 people wrote their family stories in connection with the program, and many people in Chico showed up at a local mall to read Steinbeck aloud as part of a literacy readathon.
Many groups contribute to effort
In addition to libraries, Reading The Grapes of Wrath involved a number of other organizations and institutions, including colleges and universities, labor groups, schools, and cultural and civic organizations.
Among the cultural groups supporting the program was L.A. Theatre Works in Los Angeles, which organized and produced a weeklong run of the Tony Award- winning play The Grapes of Wrath. And Stanford University's Continuing Studies Department participated in the program by sponsoring an evening with Sebastiao Salgado, the world-renowned photographer who has spent 30 years documenting the dignity and suffering of humanity.
Penguin Books became an early program sponsor, underwriting and distributing displays, posters and bookmarks to California bookstores. Penguin also issued the first Spanish-language edition of The Grapes of Wrath to provide greater access to the program for California's growing Latino population.
A number of prominent individuals and organizations supported the program. They included California's two U.S. senators and 24 Congressional representatives, California Governor Gray Davis and First Lady Sharon Davis, 25 mayors of California cities and numerous city officials, and well-known members of the arts and entertainment community, including Arthur Miller, Rob Reiner, Maria Shriver, Dennis Hopper and Jackson Browne.
To help ensure broad participation in the program, CCH and its partners developed a number of materials for libraries. These included a four-color poster, graphic materials that could be downloaded from the Council's website, and a Grapes of Wrath discussion guide.
More stories to come
Reading The Grapes of Wrath has provided a myriad of opportunities for Californians to both read Steinbeck's novel and share stories of their California experiences. The second phase of California Stories provides a number of other opportunities for the telling and sharing of stories. Current efforts include Communities Speak, 10 projects that use story-based cultural activities to bring people together to address community issues, the California Documentary Project, six projects that bring people together around film, video and photography, and the California Story Fund, story-based projects that uncover compelling new stories from California's diverse communities. With these projects and others yet to come, the Council will continue its groundbreaking work of using cultural programs to inspire changes within communities. Stay tuned.