NEA Big Read & KVML

What Is the NEA Big Read?

The NEA Big Read is a collaborative initiative between the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts Midwest to promote a shared reading experience among communities. Its primary objectives include:

encouraging meaningful conversations
highlighting local creativity
presenting diverse perspectives
fostering stronger community connections

Each year, the NEA Big Read supports select non-profit, government, and tax-exempt organizations nationwide through a grant managed by Arts Midwest. Grantees partner with local organizations to offer engaging community-wide reading programs that promote literacy and celebrate the unique aspects of their communities.

Grantees design their programs around a single book they choose from a list provided by the NEA Big Read. Books in the list are selected based on their capacity to:

incite lively and deep discussion
interest lapsed and reluctant readers
challenge avid readers and introduce them to new voices
inspire innovative programming for communities

KVML is proud to have been selected by the NEA to participate in its 2023-2024 Big Read event and provide a series of programs for the Indianapolis community.

Jess Walter's The Cold Millions

KVML chose Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions as the focus book for our NEA Big Read programming.

The Cold Millions is set during the period of American industrialization, an era in which Indianapolis has deep roots. The book delves into the historical significance of free speech and intersectional workers’ rights, exploring their relevance in a contemporary context of book banning, poverty, and overlooked American histories.

The literary study of The Cold Millions aligns with KVML’s continual efforts to champion both free speech and common decency locally, nationally, and beyond.

KVML is giving away free copies of The Cold Millions to all Big Read event attendees who sign up and don’t already own a copy.

KVML Big Read Events 2024

In Unity: Black History, Labor Reflections, and NEA Big Read Kickoff

Mon., Feb. 19 | 5:30 – 7 P.M.

Indiana Landmarks Center
1201 Central Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA

Join the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program, IUI Arts and Humanities Institute, and the Indiana Remembrance Coalition to discuss the history of Black labor in Indiana with A’Lelia Bundles, Britt Redd, Jakobi Williams, James English, Eunice Trotter, and others.

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter Book Discussion

Mon., Feb. 21 | 5 – 6:30 P.M.

Indy Reads
1066 Virginia Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46203

KVML and Indy Reads invite you to a book discussion on The Cold Millions by Jess Walter, as part of KVML’s NEA Big Read programming. Secure your spot now and score a FREE copy of the book if you don’t already own one – because great stories are meant to be shared!

Exploring Labor and Union Struggles in The Cold Millions Era

Thu., Mar. 21 | 4:30 – 6:30 P.M.

Eugene V. Debs Museum
451 N. 8th St.
Terre Haute, IN 47807

Join us as KVML partners with The Eugene V. Debs Museum as part of our NEA Big Reads programming, offering profound insights into the historical backdrop of The Cold Millions, a novel by Jess Walter. Immerse yourself in the fascinating stories of local and global labor rights movements, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of the novel. Following the lecture, there will be a book discussion on The Cold Millions.

A Big Eye in the sky: solar eclipse Celebration

Mon., Apr. 8 | 10:00 – 3:30 P.M.

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
543 Indiana Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46220

“The Earthlings behaved at all times as though there were a big eye in the sky—as though that big eye were ravenous for entertainment.” – Kurt Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan

On April 8th at 3:06 P.M., Indianapolis will be shrouded in darkness for three and a half minutes during the The Great American Eclipse. Join us for our solar eclipse celebration “A Big Eye in the Sky.”

Spend the day at the community fair in our parking lot with literary entertainment and a book discussion of The Cold Millions by Jess Walter as part of our NEA Big Read programming. Secure your spot and score a FREE copy of the book if you don’t already own one – because great stories are universal! We will provide free viewing glasses from NASA, thanks to our friends at Visit Indy. More information to come soon.

THE COLD MILLIONS BY JESS WALTER BOOK DISCUSSION

Thu., Apr. 11 | 4:30 – 6 P.M.

Carmel Clay Public Library
425 E. Main St.
Carmel, IN 46032

KVML and Carmel Clay Public Library invite you to a book discussion on The Cold Millions by Jess Walter. Secure your spot now and score a FREE copy of the book if you don’t already have one – because great stories are meant to be shared!

CESAR CHAVEZ: FILM AND LECTURE ON LATINO LABOR RIGHTS IN AMERICA

Thu., May 16 | 7 – 9:15 P.M.

Garfield Park Conservatory
2505 Conservatory Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46203

Join us at Garfield Park Conservatory when public historian and preservation activist Glory-June Greiff will provide an opening talk on the history of labor movements, followed by a screening of Cesar Chavez (2014) conducted by Indy movie historian Eric “Dr. Film” Grayson. The film follows renowned labor organizer and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.