The community’s seventh Big Read — focused on the Greek mythology-inspired novel “Circe” by Madeline Miller — can boast of something no other Big Read in Hopkinsville could before now.
This time, the author of the featured book will address a local audience to launch Big Read. The first 100 people who register for Miller’s virtual talk at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 will receive a free copy of “Circe.”
Initially, organizers planned to offer a limited number of seats in the Alhambra Theatre to see Miller’s address on the large theater screen. However, because of severe weather and poor driving conditions, the kick-off now be entirely virtual. Miller’s address will be livestreamed on the Big Read’s Facebook page so anyone can watch the program from home.
A $15,000 Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts helps fund the kick-off with Miller and other Big Read events that run through March 18. Managed by Arts Midwest, the NEA’s Big Read encourages reading and appreciation for literature.
The Pennyroyal Arts Council organizes Big Read with several partners, including Christian County Public Schools, the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library and the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville Christian County.
“Circe,” published in 2018, is a reimagining of the Greek goddess of sorcery.
The book’s publisher, Little, Brown and Co., describes the story:
“In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child — not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power — the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.”
Circe is banished to an island where she perfects her powers in the occult and ultimately must choose between two worlds — “the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.”
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Miller, who previously taught Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students, is also the author of “The Song of Achilles.” She resides in Philadelphia.
“Circe” is also planned for an eight-episode series on HBO Max. A release date has not been announced.
This story has been updated to reflect that the kick-off program will be entirely virtual.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
