Those who participated in the University of Illinois Springfield’s “One Book, One UIS” initiative last fall may want to refresh their memories.
Katherine Boo, author of the award-winning book “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” is speaking at UIS April 1 after having been unable to appear last fall during the group book-read.
The concept of a community reading project originated with the Washington Center for the Book in the late 1990s. The idea is to bring together people from varied backgrounds through the reading and discussion of a common book.
Jane Treadwell, UIS librarian and dean of library instructional services, came up with the idea for the “one book” initiative at UIS.
She solicited ideas from the Friends of Brookens Library and the campus and Springfield communities before deciding on Boo’s “Behind the Beautiful Forevers.” The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2012, was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, and appeared on many best-book lists that year.
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on March 11, 2014.
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