Events

There will be free music, free food, and an opportunity for you to share your thoughts or questions about There There or The Flagstaff Big read in general! All ages and level of book lovers welcome!

All ages welcome! This workshop will be lead by NAU Art Education students and Professor Andrew Teagarden. Tiles will be used to create a virtual mural before you take your own home for display on your wall or table, or in your garden! Come share a bit of yourself with your community!

This years Flagstaff Big Read Book is Tommy Orange's There There. In the book, Orange weaves together seemingly disparate short stories written form multiple perspectives into one overarching narrative about the fictional Big Oakland Powwow. The various storylines are united in an investigation—sometimes overt and sometimes only in the background—of personal and cultural identity and the effects of generational trauma, oppression, poverty and privilege.

Annette McGivney is a local and regional author who wrote, Pure Land, winner of the 2018 National Outdoor Book Award. In her work she also used multiple perspectives to weave together a narrative around the lives of several people, including herself. All three individuals' lives collided when McGivney began to investigate the tragic murder of a Japanese tourist on Havasupai Tribal lands in the Grand Canyon as part of her work at Backpacker magazine. She weaves the life stories of herself; the hiker and tourist, Tomomi Hanamure; and the 18-year old Havasupai youth named Randy Redtail Wescogame in an investigation of identity, and place, as well as the effects of trauma, poverty, and abuse on the life trajectories of individuals and entire communities.

Using multiple narrators or perspectives as Orange and Mcgivney have done is common in contemporary literature, and can add depth and interest to our work. How can we do it well? How do authors investigate life using multiple perspectives and how can we learn to step into another character or person's shoes in order to position ourselves as writers and as accurately as possible present many multi-faceted stories inside of a single work as McGivney, Orange and many

Come learn from an expert with people from all over our community as we get to know one another on and off the page!

Students at the residential school in Winslow will be invited to engage with NACA in activities surroung Orange's There There, including snacks, free books, and prizes!

Engage in the stories from There There with some Bingo clues to personalize your read and help you get to know you neighbors! All ages welcome!

The program is designed to share the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples living in the Flagstaff community. Discussion will also look at the themes in the book and provide an opportunity for participants to share their lived experiences.

Would 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person make more sense or add an important perspective? Could you change who the viewpoint characters are, and if so, should you? Explore these questions and more in a writing workshop inspired by Tommy Orange's multi-viewpoint novel, There There.

All ages welcome! Come explore your connection to place as we create a shared community rock trove, then take your rocks home t decorate your garden or potted plants.