|
|
| HomePrograms & EventsGrantsParticipateNewsDonateAbout UsContact |  |
Programs & Events |
|
We've added a new component to this year’s discussion through an online social network that will reduce the distance in our own state. Join the conversation at http://onebooksd.ning.com/ to share your thoughts with others throughout the state. Jump in on a conversation already taking place or start your own thread in the "Forum" section.
|
 |
One Book South DakotaA program of the South Dakota Center for the Book What if everyone in South Dakota read the same book?
It only seems fitting to begin here. Immigration—past or present—is a fundamental part of our nation’s identity. The fabric of America is entwined with stories of those who arrived here with little more than hope. It is defined by the sacrifices that were made and the hardships that were faced, and it has been transformed through the communities that were created. But immigration, like everything else, also has a dark side to it. In our history is the forced immigration of African slaves, the internment of Japanese immigrants during World War II, and the devastating effect immigration had on tribal communities. The dual nature of immigration still exists today. According to the U.S. government, forced immigration known as human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states, with thousands of men and women being exploited for labor or sex each year within our own borders. On the other side, there are the stories of war refugees who have been granted asylum within our borders, bringing with it religious freedom, peace, and a renewed sense of home. A key element of any good conversation is balance. Many sides of an issue should be presented, and there must be equal time for all. We hope to start this multilayered conversation through One Book that deserves to be read and discussed by everyone in South Dakota. It is the story of Valentino Achak Deng’s remarkable journey from war-torn East Africa to the United States, as written by Dave Eggers. Valentino is one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, a group of young men who were left to wander through the jungles of East Africa because they were separated from their parents—through bloodshed or chaos—during the Sudanese civil war. The book documents the hardships faced by Valentino and many of the Lost Boys in Africa, as well as the tribulations he experienced adjusting to life in the United States. The book is set in Africa and Atlanta, but his story is closer than one might expect. South Dakota is home to one of the largest Sudanese refugee populations in the country—per capita it is the largest. We hope you’ll take part in this statewide discussion with your family, your friends, your co-workers, and others in your community. Homegrown book clubs are invited to apply to this program, as are book clubs organized through local libraries, museums, and other cultural organizations. For a small application fee, we will provide reader’s guides and copies of the book for everyone in your discussion group, as well as a scholar to lead the discussion if you would like one.
About Dave Eggers
A Brief History of the One Book South Dakota Program Since 2003, the One Book South Dakota program has encouraged everyone across South Dakota to read and discuss the same novel or memoir throughout the course of a year. Past One Book South Dakota selections have been:
Many times, a One Book South Dakota event will feature a variety of experiences that relate to the book. For example, a book discussion of Buffalo for the Broken Heart might also include a sampling of bison meat or a presentation by a local bison rancher. The program encourages an interactive and comprehensive discussion of the text as it relates to our everyday lives.
|
|
Dave Eggers is the author of six previous books, including Zeitoun, a non-fiction account a Syrian-American immigrant and his extraordinary experience during Hurricane Katrina and What Is the What, a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award. That book, about Valentino Achak Deng, a survivor of the civil war in southern Sudan, gave birth to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, run by Mr. Deng and dedicated to building secondary schools in southern Sudan. Eggers is the founder and editor of McSweeney’s, an independent publishing house based in San Francisco that produces a quarterly journal, a monthly magazine (The Believer), and Wholphin, a quarterly DVD of short films and documentaries. In 2002, with Nínive Calegari he co-founded 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center for youth in the Mission District of San Francisco. Local communities have since opened sister 826 centers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Ann Arbor, Seattle, and Boston. In 2004, Eggers taught at the University of California–Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and there, with Dr. Lola Vollen, he co-founded Voice of Witness, a series of books using oral history to illuminate human rights crises around the world. A native of Chicago, Eggers graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in journalism. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.
About Valentino Achak Deng