In January the Center for the Book became the "on-the-air" sponsor and producer of "The Sound of Writing: America's Short Story Magazine of the Air," a National Public Radio (NPR) series hosted by writer and NPR literary critic Alan Cheuse. Broadcast on more than 100 NPR affiliates nationwide, each 30-minute program features readings of two original short stories.
"We will use our new involvement with 'The Sound of Writing' to stimulate interest nationwide in reading, literacy and in the short story itself," said Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole. "For example, through our network of affiliated state centers, we hope to develop community programming that makes creative use of the broadcasts, cassette tapes and the texts of the stories. The Florida Center for the Book is currently developing project ideas, and we are inviting other centers and organizations to join with us. We also are developing plans for a national Friends of the Sound of Writing support group."
Launched in cooperation with NPR in 1987, the "The Sound of Writing" is distributed as part of the "NPR Playhouse." Until this year "The Sound of Writing" was sponsored and produced by the Syndicated Fiction Project, which has ceased operation.
Writers whose stories are included in the current series of "The Sound of Writing" programs are Sherman Alexie, Rick Bass, Charles Baxter, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Ron Carlson, Josephine Carson, Elena Castedo, Fred Chappell, R.H.W. Dillard, John Dufresne, Brian Evenso, Herbert Gold, Githa Hariharan, Christopher Ross Hodgdon, Louis Jenkins, Ursula K. Le Guin, E. Ethelbert Miller, Lewis Nordan, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Riffin, Rolando Hinojosa Smith, Sharon Solwitz, Elizabeth Spencer and Wakako Yamauchi.
Two anthologies of short stories produced for the project have been published, and a third is being prepared. The Sound of Writing: America's Short Story Magazine of the Air, edited by Caroline Marshall and Alan Cheuse, was published in 1991 by Doubleday/Anchor Books; Listening to Ourselves: More Stories from the Sound of Writing, also edited by Ms. Marshall and Mr. Cheuse and published by Doubleday/Anchor, appeared in 1994. Both are available in the Library's Sales Shop; call (202) 707-0204 for information. The third anthology is being edited by Alan Cheuse and Dallas Hudgens.
April 16 Is Preservation Awareness Day
The Preservation Directorate and the Center for the Book are sponsoring a preservation awareness workshop in the Madison Building's Mumford Room from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 16. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions about preserving and storing family treasures and to see live demonstrations of gold tooling, paper mending, book sewing and matting and hinging of works of art on paper. Conservationists and other specialists from the Library's staff will provide advice and information about the handling, cleaning and storage of books, papers and documents, fine prints, photographs, compact disks, sound recordings and motion picture film.
In addition, nonprofit professional associations in the preservation field and companies that manufacture and distribute conservation products will be on hand to answer questions and offer information on preservation products and issues.
The emphasis in the workshop, which is part of the Library's celebration of National Library Week, is on the preservation and storage of books and other materials; evaluation and assessment services will not be offered or available.
1996 "Letters About Literature" Contest
More than 14,000 entries were received this year in the annual Center for the Book/Read magazine "Letters About Literature" project. A student enters the contest by writing a letter of 1,000 words or less to a favorite author, explaining how that author's book changed the student's outlook on life. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, which includes a visit to the Library of Congress on May 9. In addition, nine national finalists will receive $100 cash awards. Cash prizes of $100 will also be awarded to state winners by the 19 state centers participating in the contest: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
California Literary Landscapes Discussed
In conjunction with the Library of Congress traveling exhibit "Language of the Land: Journeys into Literary America," on Sept. 30, 1995, the California Center for the Book sponsored "Images of California," a discussion with four literary historians from the Golden State: Forrest G. Robinson, Robert J. Brophy, Gerald Haslam and James D. Houston.
Held in Sacramento in the California State Capitol, the program was moderated by California State Librarian Kevin Starr. Other sponsors were the California State Library Foundation, the California State Library, the California State Capitol Museum and the State Capitol Museum Volunteer Association.
The "Language of the Land" traveling exhibit was on view in the State Library on Aug. 17- Oct. 6, 1995. The exhibit and the Sept. 30 presentations were made possible by a grant to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund. Two accompanying exhibits were presented by the California State Library: "John Steinbeck and Jack London, Two California Writers" and "Novels and Stories of California." They drew on the State Library's incomparable collection, which panelist James Houston described as "the biggest collection of California fiction on earth."
The four Sept. 30 presentations, with illustrations and discussion, have been published in the January 1996 issue of California State Library Foundation Bulletin. The papers are:
"Mark Twain's Mining Frontier: California and Nevada in the 1860s," by Forrest G. Robinson; "William Everson and Archetype West, by Robert J. Brophy; "Voices from the Heartland: Cultural Diversity in the Great Central Valley," by Gerald Haslam; and "From El Dorado to the Pacific Rim: An Overview of Themes in California's Fiction," by James D. Houston.
For information about the Bulletin and the activities of the California Center for the Book, write or call the California State Library Foundation, 1225 Eighth St., Suite 345, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 447-6331.
Center Cosponsors AAP Reception at LC
More than 150 publishers came to the Library on March 13 for a reception marking the opening of the annual meeting of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers. The event, which was held in the Jefferson Building's Great Hall, was cosponsored by AAP and the Center for the Book.
Dr. Billington greeted the publishers and spoke about cooperative efforts between the publishing community and the Library of Congress, including support for the activities of the Copyright Office and the Center for the Book. In describing the Jefferson Building as a "temple of the book," he described the printer's marks that were inscribed in the second floor Great Hall ceilings in 1893-1896, as the building neared completion.
In particular, he pointed out the marks representing eight American publishers and printers on the north side. The firms represented are: D. Appleton & Co.; the Devinne Press; Charles Scribner's Sons; Harper and Bros.; the Riverside Press; the Century Co.; J.B. Lippincott Co.; and Dodd, Mead and Co.
