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Annual Events - OneBookAZ 2007
OneBookAZ 2007 - Going Back to Bisbee
Desert dwellers took a heart-warming road trip through the desert Southwest during Arizona's annual celebration of books and reading in April 2007 by reading Going Back to Bisbee, the OneBookAZ selection by award-winning Tucson author Richard Shelton.
Richard Shelton Interview about Going Back to Bisbee
Richard Shelton, author of Going Back to Bisbee, which was selected as the OneBookAZ title for 2007, was recently interviewed by his old friend and colleague Robert Houston at the Mission Branch Library.
You may listen to the conversation right here on our web site.
- Listen to Window Media Player version (with images).
- Listen to MP3 audio version.
An Evening with Richard Shelton
Shelton talked about the book and his poetry at a free public presentation on April 24, 2007. We recorded his presentation, which includes readings from the book, captivating digressions, and examples of poetry from his new collection, The Last Person to Hear Your Voice.
Listen now to Richard Shelton (MP3 format).
Book Discussions at Six Branch Libraries
Readers were also invited to join the following book discussions, moderated by scholars from the Arizona Humanities Council, offered at our library branches:
- Tuesday, April 10, 10:00 am, Joyner-Green Valley Branch Library.
- Monday, April 16, 1:00 pm, Himmel Park Branch Library.
- Tuesday, April 17, 2:00 pm, Dusenberry-River Center Branch Library.
- Thursday, April 19, 1:00 pm, Kirk-Bear Canyon Branch Library.
- Thursday, April 19, 6:30 pm, Mission Branch Library.
- Friday, April 20, 2:00 pm, Nanini Branch Library.
More About Going Back to Bisbee
Going Back to Bisbee is a captivating journey of discovery. From behind the wheel of his sturdy blue van, Shelton is an able guide as he navigates through the desert landscape, sharing observations about unique flora and fauna, examining historic sites, and pausing for reflection or refreshment in a cool-running stream.
Going Back to Bisbee won the Western States Book Award for Creative Nonfiction in 1992. The judges noted, "If you love the Southwestern deserts you will love this book. If you donÂ’t know them, this book will lead you to them."
Richard Shelton began his love affair with the Southwest desert in 1955 when he arrived as an army recruit. He is a Regents Professor in the English Department at the University of Arizona, and his poetry and prose have appeared in more than 200 magazines, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the Paris Review. His book, The Last Person to Hear Your Voice, was published in February by University of Pittsburgh Press. His latest book, Crossing the Yard: 30 Years as a Prison Volunteer, will be published by the University of Arizona Press this fall.
Shelton was selected to deliver the Lawrence Clark Powell Memorial Lecture in 2005. In 2006, Shelton and his wife, Lois, were honored with the first annual Arizona Literary Treasure Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the literary fabric of Arizona.
National Poetry Month: Poem of the Week April 2-7
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Richard Shelton's poem Desert was chosen Poem of the Week. The Poem of the Week is brought to you by the University of Arizona Poetry Center.
Desert
Sometimes the sun is still trying
to get to the horizon
when a daylight moon comes up,
fragile and almost transparent,
the ghost of a white bird
with damaged wings,
blown from its course and lost
in the huge desert sky.
It is the least protected
of all unprotected things.
A little wind goes by
through the greasewood
heading home to its nest
among blue-veined stones
where it will circle three times
and curl up to sleep
before darkness falls
straight down
like a tile from the roof of a tall building.
There are families of stones
under the ground.
As the young stones grow
they rise slowly like moons.
When they reach the surface
they are old and holy
and when they break open
they give off a rich odor,
each blooming once in the light
after centuries of waiting.
Those who have lived here longest
and know best
are least conspicuous.
The oldest mountains are lowest
and the scorpion sleeps all day
beneath a broken stone.
If I stay here long enough
I will learn the art of silence.
When I have given up words
I will become what I have to say.
From Selected Poems 1969 - 1981 by Richard Shelton, University of Pittsburgh Press, © 1982 Richard Shelton.
OneBookAZ Kids' Pick is Weedflower
This year's pick for OneBookAZ Kids is Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata, who will be appearing on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 3:30 pm at the Himmel Park Branch Library, 1035 N Treat Ave.
Weedflowerexplores the story of the rewards and challenges of a friendship across the racial divide, as well as the based-on-real-life story of how the meeting of Japanese Americans and Native Americans changed the futures of both.
She has also written CRACKER! The Best Dog in Vietnam, and Kira-Kira, which won the 2005 Newbery Medal Award and is a New York Times bestseller.
Cynthia Kadohata's father was held in the Poston (Arizona) interment camp during World War II. His experiences - and those of the tens of thousands of other Japanese and Japanese Americans - compelled her to write Weedflower. Her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Ploughshares, Grand Street, and other publications. She lives with her son in California.
Our Thanks...
Established in 2002, OneBookAZ celebrates reading and fosters a sense of community by encouraging the shared exploration of a book, and brings people together through book discussions, author visits and signing events.
Pima County Public Library's OneBookAZ activities are made possible by support from the Friends of the Pima County Public Library, the Arizona Humanities Council, and the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
See the OneBookAZ web site for information about events around the state.