Evanston Reads

Citizen: An American Lyric
February-April 2018

book coverEvanston Reads centers on the unique, challenging, and engaging book, Citizen: An American Lyric, by Claudia Rankine. Join this shared reading experience to discuss what the New Yorker calls a “book-length poem about race and the imagination.” Connect with the text and other people through book discussions, film screenings, special events, and community activities (see calendar below).

“A classic that will be read, referred to and reflected on for generations” (Lit Hub), Citizen is a genre-bending work of art combining lyric prose with internal monologues, visual art, slogans, photographs, quotes, a screen grab from YouTube, and film scripts. It is a touchstone for talking candidly about racism.

Evanston Reads is a part of the Big Read program. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Evanston Public Library is grateful to our generous local partners on this project, including Evanston Township High School, District 65, YWCA Evanston/Northshore, Northwestern University Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Dear Evanston, Evanston History Center, Frances Willard House Museum and Archive, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Ridgeville Park District and the City of Evanston.

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.

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