MOUNT VERNON — If you frequent the Mount Vernon Library, you may have noticed something unusually eye-catching on display this week: a pair of ceremonial dragon heads fancifully and creatively made out of stuffed animals.
The installation, created by Ohio artist Jonathan Turner, is a teaser for the Library’s NEA Big Read Kickoff celebration of award-winning author Charles Yu’s groundbreaking novel, Interior Chinatown.
Festivities begin at the Mount Vernon Library on Saturday, Feb. 15 at noon with a book giveaway of Interior Chinatown, delicious Chinese treat crafted by Chef Nav of Half Baked Bistro, and a performance by the Jingwei Lion Dance Association of Columbus.
But that’s not all: Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr will deliver an official proclamation, and NEA Big Read Chair, author Ira Sukrungruang will offer brief welcoming remarks.
From there, it’s books and desserts, tea and great company during this very special program launch.
2025 NEA Big Read theme is “Where We Live.” So what does Interior Chinatown — a novel set in contemporary Los Angeles — have to do with readers here in Knox County, Ohio?
“First of all, books are magic, because you can travel the world through a good book. What I love about Interior Chinatown is that it’s the story of an everyday person with big dreams.
“If you’ve ever worked in a job where you felt underappreciated, where your talents wasted away while mediocre people succeeded, or had a tough time finding your place in a world determined to stereotype you, this book is for you,” says Library Deputy Director of Development, Special Projects and Writing Programs Jamie Lyn Smith-Fletcher.
“That and it’s hilarious, plus the martial arts scenes in the Hulu series are absolute fire.”
A full schedule of upcoming NEA Big Read programming is available on the Library website at www.knox.net or and as a printer-friendly, downloadable PDF.
February NEA Big Read activities include:
● Saturday, Feb. 15: Sunset Press Write In and Book Giveaway at the Kenyon Bookstore.
● Wednesday, Feb. 19: Adult Book Discussion of Interior Chinatown.
● Thursday, Feb. 20: Poetry Workshop with Andy Grace.
● Saturday, Feb. 22: Always Anjali Children’s Storytime at The Annex.
● Monday, Feb. 24: Teen MakerSpace Chinese Opera Mask-making Workshop.
● Monday Feb. 24: Interior Chinatown Book Discussion on the Library’s “What Are You Reading” podcast.
● Thursday, Feb. 27: Ekphrastic Writing Workshop at The Gund.
● Friday, Feb. 28: “Where We Live” Appalachian Square Dance at The Brown Family Environmental Center.
If you miss the Feb. 15 Kickoff Celebration, don’t despair! From 2 to 4 p.m., Sunset Press is hosting a Book Giveaway and Write In on the “Where We Live” theme at the Kenyon College Bookstore in Gambier.
Interior Chinatown book giveaways will continue at all Library branches while supplies last, and patrons can check out circulating copies of Interior Chinatown on audiobook and in print.
Free copies of Interior Chinatown are available at the following locations:
● Chalmers Library, Kenyon College
● Fashion and Home by FC in Knox Village Square
● Kenyon College Bookstore
● Knox Public Health (Gilchrist Road office)
● Ohio Eastern Star Home
● The Gund
● The Annex
● Paragraphs Bookstore
● The Peoples Bank of Marietta, Mount Vernon
● The United Way of Knox County
The Library’s NEA Big Read community partners include Mount Vernon Arts Consortium, The Gund, The Annex, The Brown Family Environmental Center, Half Baked Bistro, Paragraphs Bookstore, Chalmers Library, Sunset Press, Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships, The Kenyon Review, the Kenyon Bookstore and the Kenyon College Department of Dance, Drama, and Film.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with Arts Midwest,awarded a $20,000 grant to the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County.
The library is one of only two NEA Big Read grantees in Ohio, and this is the second time our local library has been selected for this prestigious, highly competitive award.
The goal of the NEA Big Read is to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in communities through the shared experience of reading.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s website for more information; guidelines will be released in the fall.
For more information about the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County’s 2025 NEA Big Read program, please visit www.knox.net, email knoxwrites1@gmail.com or call 740-392-2665 ext. 8259.
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.