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 HelloReturn to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to NH Outlook. |
| Intro What Reading Return to index of stories... |
Here and Nowhere Else. That's the title of the book that has people all over New Hampshire reading and talking this month. We'll learn more details about the humanities program that has people reading in New Hampshire in a moment, but first, we take you to Jaffrey, where people are meeting to share their experience of author Jane Brox's latest. |
| What Reading Return to index of stories... |
NATSOT Uh, its not a book I would have read except for this because I can't identify with farming, it has been no part of my experience. So I was very glad to have read it because we are being exposed to something at a very personal level, from that point of view. But it didn't grip me because I really couldn't put myself in it. I wish we had had this discussion before I read the book then I would have appreciated it more. TRACK These people are participating in the "What is NH Reading" program. Each month the discussion is led by different local scholars. Paul Lizotte, an educator at Riviere College, leads this month's group at the public library in Jaffrey. SOT- Lizotte I was part of the Board of Directors and Planning for these programs, so in our discussions, we would see the opportunity to bring Humanities discussions to places and libraries, where not much was going on. So then I became interested in what actually happened at these book discussions. And in doing them, it's just so delightful; the type of people, the interest they bring, for someone who teaches undergraduate students its wonderful to hear what adults do bring to these books. NATSOT I felt like she should have written poetry. It seems like she didn't go far enough. And it, to me, it sort of left me flat, the way it was written, and I felt like if it had been written as poetry, it would have had a little more feeling to it. I think there was too much of her mind and too little of her heart in it. TRACK The program was born eight years ago through the NH Humanities Council. Each month a new book is chosen for discussion that relates to an overall theme. This year's theme is "With Earth In Mind." SOT- Lizotte I think that's something about what Here and Nowhere Else is trying to talk about. Both ways in which generations, families, have minded the earth, taken care of it, but also the ways in which the writer, Jane Brox, and also the people she's talking about, particularly have listened to the land and let the land in a sense mind them, or take care of them. NATSOT Well, I think maybe I made a mistake, I read a good portion of it all at once, and I was left with the feeling that I had tried to see a whole art gallery in one afternoon. It was just too much. I mean, maybe if I had read it chapter by chapter, and let it be for a while, maybe I would have enjoyed it more. TRACK This kind of involved discussion isn't new to the group. They have been meeting at the Jaffrey library since long before the "What is NH Reading" program. Although they have a core group, this has changed as newer discussion programs come to the library. SOT we have a real mix. I guess I would have to say we've had predominately women in the past, but I think with this series, we've gotten more men. We have a lot of people that are retired. Many people that have been teachers or educators in the past. But I'm also starting to see an influx of younger people coming in. Actually, I think having the series once a month has sort of loosened up the type of people that come in, cause the commitment is not every other week, its once a month and so people can pick and choose what they can come to. SOT- Lizotte it's a way of making sure that NH responds to what is a changing world out there, and I think that's one of the things the NH Humanities can do. Bringing new challenging ideas and books to people and really broadening their horizons. NATSOT we must be doing something right cause they are enjoying it and they keep coming back. And I have to say, that they don't always like the books, but they like to talk about them. |
| Reading Discussion Return to index of stories... |
Questions: When did the program start? What was the reasoning behind starting this program? Were there other programs this one was modeled after? Explain a typical month's program Do you pick only New England authors or does it matter? The programs are themed. Who decides the themes and then how do you pick the books? This year's theme is With the Earth in Mind. Why? How much do people participate in the program? Is participation going up or staying the same? Do you find the discussions to be pretty engaged? What kinds of people are participating in the program? Has this changed over the years? How successful has it been? Which cities seemed to have caught on the quickest? |
| Tag Discussion Return to index of stories... |
To find out more about What is New Hampshire Reading you can visit the New Hampshire Humanities Council Website at n-h-h-c-dot-org. |
| Intro Sherman A. Return to index of stories... |
Last month the Humanities Council brought poet, author and screenwriter Sherman Alexie to the state. In many ways Alexie has become a spokesman for Native Americans. And, as we learned, it's a role he reluctantly accepts. |
| Sherman Alexie Return to index of stories... |
SOT: 01:07:41 I'm actually sort of an anomalie in the Indian world. When you're talking about Indians your talking about small town folks. a really conserv group of people… yuou can't tell the differnec between a small town Indian and a small town white operson- you're talking pro gun pro milt, pro lidfe nd very religious and fundamental. Me on the other hand I've been a commie socialist sincxe I was ofur years old- so myt liberalism doesn't make me a popular person on the res. And it doesn't make me a popular peron in the workd now. SOUND UP: ; use Sherman speaking to Clinton about 1998 indian reservation conditions… then go to Ben's question at 01:05:33. SOT: 01:05:33 YOU WERE INVOLVED… …stronger and stronger Urban cmty. 06:40OUT NAT: don't use bite unless we receive the film trailer… SOT: 01:01:30 we ended up making this film on digital video for very little money. Mico budgeted film about a gay Native American Poet who goes home for the funeral of a childhood friend. HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOUR FILM RATES WITH TRADITIONAL NATIVE AMERICAMN FILMS? Our film is very different it's more of a collage very different . not just about reservation life it's about a very talented man.white collar Indians brand new.it's brand new in any representation of Indians. 02:40OUT 02:42 what kids of stereotypes do you encounter well shoot its the 21st century and people still ask me if I live ina tee-pee. most of the stereotyoes strangly enough are positive stereotypes casinos 03:42 nobody ever expects me- they want the Indian wirter t show up- theres a lot of Indian writers who walk and dress and act like the stereotype- you know- they speak very slowly, looking off into the distance as if they were constantly recievinng visions - like they're the CNN of the spiritual world but I'm just a contemp citizen of te country and oif the world. 4:08 OUT 09:40 Screen writer now on top of being an author and a poet. What do you enjoy most? At the end of every day poems… Poetry feeds me. ALLY ON CAM TAG: Sherman Alexie's film, "The Business of Fancy Dancing" is now playing in select theatres. |
| Intro BookCrossing Return to index of stories... |
Earlier we told you about people sharing their reading experiences with others in the Granite State. There's another phenomenon in New Hampshire that has readers sharing their reading in a completely different way. Producer Tai Freligh explains this growing phenomena of releasing books into the wild for other people to find and pass on. |
| BookCrossing.com Return to index of stories... |
NATS UP- Scrolling through list of releases nats "somebody released Wuthering Heights, that's so cool!" TRACK Aisling D'art is talking about a program that has books traveling all across the country. SOT Tape 1 I looked this up online, bookcrossing.com, and I saw that it was something very consistent with other projects I've worked on, postcards-x, freewords.com, so many of these new projects where we are connecting through the internet but making the arts and humanities in general more available to people in settings where they might not be expecting it and I think that's very exciting. TRACK D'art is one of many people who heard about BookCrossing.com through word of mouth. She is an avid reader and loves books. SOT Tape 1 To me books are a real escape, an education, another world to wander into, books are just so much for me and they are relaxing. There are just so many things you can get from books that you can't get anywhere else. TRACK BookCrossing was started last year by Ron Hornbaker, a Missouri man who also runs a software company. *use photo of Ron with BC signpost here* The idea is to send your old books out into the world instead of letting them gather dust at home. You track their journey online. SOT Tape 1 Of course you go to bookcrossing.com and you register and that's free. And then you start going through the books you have on your book shelf and you select something that you would like to release. Hopefully it's a book that you really enjoyed that you would enjoy sharing with someone else and you're intrigued that you might be sharing this with a stranger. Somebody totally unknown may be picking this up. NATS UP HERE- 23:56 Holding book and looking at it then sets down and begins typing on keyboard and talking about registering it online. NATS UP HERE- 24:07 Shot of computer screen while she types book name and author and picks category- registers book- screen pops up with ID number SOT Tape 1 And then you will write that number in the book or you will get a preprinted tag which you can print on your own printer and you stick that inside the book so that it will be there permanently and then you take the book out and leave it somewhere where someone will find it. *use 25:18 She writes ID number inside book cover* NATS UP HERE- 21:56 Medium shot of Aisling at computer with BC on screen- nats of her talking about number of releases in Nashua. STANDUP Finding unique ways to release books is an appealing part of the program. I'm releasing "The Education of Laura Bridgman" a book about a New Hampshire woman who became the first deaf and blind person to learn language, nearly a half century before Helen Keller. This one is going into the wild in the Cafe on the Corner in Dover. SOT Tape 1 In many cases you might put a label on the front or a post-it note that says this really is a free book so take it and you leave it on a restaurant table, in a store, on a park bench, in the back pocket of the airline seat in front of you when you're on the airplane. Someplace where people might look and see a book and think hmm what's that and pick it up and discover that it's for them, that it's like a treasure, a present and they get to take this home and they read it and hopefully turn around and leave it someplace else for somebody else to find and so that makes the world our library you will suddenly find books that you can take home and read and enjoy in places outside of a book store or a library. TRACK Of course, looking for books is part of the appeal. SOT Tape 1 It's a scavenger hunt. You have a few clues to work with and you know you're going to find something or you hope you're going to find something that could be wonderful, but you don't know and that adds an element of adventure to daily life that we don't have in our lives so much anymore. BUTT BITES TOGETHER SOT Tape 1 One of the themes at BookCrossing.com is "the world is your library" and I went out looking for one of these books that was listed at bookcrossing.com here at Marshall's Dept. Store nearby and it gave me a sudden perspective of I might find something here that I'm not expecting. Even though I'm looking for the book, there is still that element of will I really find the book, is it really here and just going into a dept. store with that totally different mindset is something that I found tremendously exciting. TRACK While you might not find a book, you may find an adventure or new ways of interacting with the world around you. SOT Tape 1 BookCrossing.com is one of many projects online, I'm participating in this, I'm participating in many of these projects and I'm hoping that people will go to websites like this and will find books like this and they too will create more projects where we can reach each other in unusual ways and things that will enhance each other's lives. |
| Tag BookCrossing Return to index of stories... |
When we first told you about BookCrossing in June, there were only seven book releases in New Hampshire. Out of the more than 52,000 releases in the United States currently, the Granite State has over 300. |
| Tomorrow Return to index of stories... |
On the next New Hampshire Outlook - November 29 is End of Life Care Day in New Hampshire. We'll hear the personal story of one couple preparing for a "good death." |
| Goodnight Return to index of stories... |
That's it for this edition of our program. Thanks for joining us. |
| founders Return to index of stories... |
Thanks to our founding sponsors who have provided major funding for the production of New Hampshire Outlook: New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Public Service of New Hampshire Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust Putnam Foundation Stratford Foundation |
| WEB PROMO Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. End of Life Care. We'll hear the personal story of one couple and learn the importance of preparing for a "good death." Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Public Television. |
| key: Culture Arts Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 11/28/02 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 27:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, focus on What's New Hampshire Reading? A reading program put on by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. We began the program in Jaffrey, where people are meeting to share their experience of author Jane Brox's latest, "Here and Nowhere Else". We were then joined instudio from the New Hampshire Humanities Council executive director Allison Nordstrom and Laurie Quinn program director. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Tai Freligh NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Prof. Paul Lizotte\Rivier College Joan Knight\Librarian, Jaffrey Public Library Laurie Quinn\Program Director - NH Humanities Council Alison Nordstrom\Executive Director - NH Humanities Council |
| key: Culture/Arts Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 11/28/02 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 27:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, continuing our focus on what NH is reading, the Humanities Council brought poet, author and screenwriter Sherman Alexie to the state. Producer Ben French had a chance to sit down with him. In many ways Alexie has become a spokesman for Native Americans. And, as we learned, it's a role he reluctantly accepts. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Ben French NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Sherman Alexie\Poet, Author & Screenwriter |
| key: Culture/Arts Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 11/28/02 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 27:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, continuing our focus on what NH is reading, we revisit the story of Bookcrossing.com that has readers sharing their reading in a completely different way. The growing phenomena of releasing books into the wild for other people to find and pass on. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Tai Freligh NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Aisling D'Art\BookCrossing Member |
| Tonight 10:00 Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. Join us tonight at 10:00 only on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| Intro Reading Disc. Return to index of stories... |
Joining me to talk more about What is New Hampshire?From the New Hampshire Humanities Council executive direct Allison Nordstrom and Laurie Quinn program director. |