On Thursday, September 1, more than 330 people gathered for a standing-room only event at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library for the launch of Big D Reads ‘22: The Accommodation.
Dallas’ first-ever poet laureate, Joaquín Zihuatanejo, recited an original poem “For a Place Called Dallas,” which he wrote for the event. The South Dallas Concert Choir performed two moving spirituals, thanks to the support of the city of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture.
Deep Vellum publisher Will Evans and The Accommodation author Jim Schutze made remarks, and Jo Giudice, director of the Dallas Public Library, revealed the library’s archival exhibit of primary source materials from The Accommodation, which will be free and open to the public throughout September.
Big D Reads is a citywide book club which funded the printing and distribution of 30,000 free paperback copies of Schutze’s reprinted The Accommodation, which was originally released in 1986 and details Dallas’ civil rights history in the 50s and 60s. Thank you to Amazon for its generous presenting sponsorship. Learn more here.
