Wildlife Photograph

Ijams takes part in Big Read

Friday September 18, 2009
Two programs explore 'Bless me, Ultima's natural themes



Why have we stopped reading? A report from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 2004 detailed an alarming trend.  Literary reading, particularly among young people in this country, is rapidly decreasing. In an effort to combat this decline, the NEA developed "The Big Read," an initiative designed to focus renewed attention on the benefits of reading a good book.

For the third year in a row, the YWCA of Knoxville in collaboration with the Knox County Public Library received an NEA grant to plan and implement a series of events and discussions surrounding a classic novel. This year's choice is the little-known but much heralded Chicano novel "Bless Me, Ultima."  The 1972 book by Rudolfo Anaya is generally included in the list of most commonly challenged books in the United States.

The novel's story line takes place in New Mexico just after World War II and follows the maturation of grade-schooler Antonio, the youngest son in the Márez family. As Tony ages, he witnesses several tragic events and is forced to deal with complicated moral issues. He also must choose between the agrarian, devout heritage of his mother and the largely lawless, violent "cowboy" ways of his father's family.

Along the way, young Tony meets Ultima, a "curandera" or herbal healer, who is accompanied by an all-seeing owl. Through his relationship with Ultima and others, Tony discovers simplicity, a oneness with nature, free of value judgments and the beauty of not living in the past, but in the here and now.

During the month-long celebration, Ijams Nature Center will host two events that focuses on Ultima's connection with the natural world. On Friday, September 18, Peg Beute and Stephen Lyn Bales will do a special owl prowl and on Saturday, September 26, Lyn will be a wildflower walk where we'll look for plants once used locally in herbal folk medicines.
 
For more information on both, look inside at the Happenings pages. For more info on The Big Read, go to http://www.ywcaknox.com/.

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