Alabama Bound 2010
Birmingham Public Library - Central
Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A Vision of American Childhood
by Haruyo Miyagawa, Birmingham Public Library
Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book that appeals to all ages. Most people read it when young, but may not come back to it later as adults when they could better appreciate it sly humor and darker tones. Alabama Bound 2010 will give readers an opportunity to acquaint or reacquaint themselves with this work and join the discussion on what makes this novel an enduring American classic.
Rather than the usual panels of recently published Alabama authors, Alabama Bound 2010 will feature a variety of programming aimed to enhance understanding and appreciation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain as a writer and as a person.
The
day will begin with Will Stutts, a nationally-renowned actor and Alabama native
currently living in Philadelphia. He will perform his one-man show Mark
Twain's America. The Philadelphia Inquirer said of this show, "Stutts
looks so much like Mark Twain one is tempted to ask for the author's autography
... Stutts' choice of material, his timing and delivery are impeccable!"
Following Stutts, the top three winners of the WORD UP! student poetry slam will perform. WORD UP! is a county-wide contest in which high school students write and perform original poetry.
Then the popular local band Flying Jenny will entertain the audience with music of Twain's era. Flying Jenny plays lively old-time string band music which is the music of the American settlers from the British Isles and is a forerunner of bluegrass and country music. So be ready for a toe-tapping good time!
After the music interlude, a panel of scholars and authors will discuss The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from varying viewpoints. The panel will include noted Twain expert Dr. Alan Gribben, chair of the English Department at Auburn University Montgomery. He is the author of several books on twain and contributed the foreword to New South Books' special Big Read edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Another panel member will be Chandra Sparks Taylor, an Alabama author of popular young adult books such as The Pledge and Spin It Like That. Audience members will have opportunities to add to the discussion.
The
day will close with Dolores Hydock, master storyteller and actress. Her program
titled Dead Cats and Spunk Water: Superstitions and Magical Thinking in the
Writing of Mark Twain is an exploration of Twain's stories. The characters
in Twain's tales "often used superstitions, dubious logic, and blind faith to make sense of an uncertain world" (from
Hydock's website)
Twain could never quite decide whether The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was for children or grown-ups, and his book is the stronger for it. He said "Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves ..." So we invite you to Alabama Bound and see if you can discover your "inner child."