HCCC to Host ‘Hook the Book’ Workshop for NEA Big Read Sci-Fi Novel
February 5, 2019
Attendees of the February 7 event will receive a free copy of Station Eleven.
February 5, 2019, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Department of Cultural Affairs invites the community to participate in the Educational Arts Team’s “Hook the Book” workshop on Thursday, February 7 from 12 - 1:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Dineen Hull Gallery Atrium, located at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City. There is no charge for admission and those who attend will receive a free copy of the featured novel, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
The workshop is being held in conjunction with Jersey City’s citywide participation in the 2019 Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read seeks to inspire conversation and discovery by showcasing a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives.
The February 7 workshop will include an introduction to Mandel’s post-apocalyptic fictional story, its characters, setting, and plot, and will likely inspire participants to read the book. (A full schedule of NEA Big Read events is available at www.jerseycityculture.org/nea-big-read.)
The fourth novel by Mandel, Station Eleven follows a traveling group of Shakespearean actors and classical musicians in North America 20 years after a pandemic eradicated most of the Earth’s human population. Roaming the wasteland of what remains, the characters are caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous, self-proclaimed prophet. The time-jumping structure in the storytelling illuminates the conflicts as well as the value of hope, friendship, and the arts. Translated into 31 languages, Station Eleven was a finalist for the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, and won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Toronto Book Award, and the Morning News Tournament of Books.
For nearly 40 years, the Jersey City-based Educational Arts Team has worked to improve literacy for urban students in low-performing schools, and provide positive cultural, social, and recreational experiences to youths. The group aims to impact children’s hearts and minds through the arts and provide educational resources in communities, including helping young people realize academic success, enjoy meaningful learning experiences, and develop positive social interactions. Participants in Educational Arts Team’s programs become better readers and writers, as well as socially matured individuals.
The HCCC Department of Cultural Affairs’ 2019 Spring calendar of events features an array of visual and performing artists, exhibitions, and programs. They include ice sculpting, literature, yoga, art history, poetry and prose, folkloric dance, and more.
The HCCC Department of Cultural Affairs welcomes Hudson County community members, organizations, businesses, and school groups to enjoy its cultural programs at the College. Groups of 6 to 30 visitors are invited to free 45-minute tours of the current exhibition, “Notes and Tones: Jazz Influences on the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.” To schedule a tour, contact HCCC Cultural Affairs Director Michelle Vitale at mvitaleFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.
The Dineen Hull Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information is available at https://www.hccc.edu/community/arts/index.html.