1st ANNUAL RALLY FOR LITERACY on October 1! Fun for the entire community!

Saturday, October 1
9:00am – 11:00am

Jácome Plaza at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Downtown Tucson, 101 N. Stone Avenue – Near the corner of Church Ave./Alameda
Free parking in the library garage (underground) or on the street.

In July, five powerful literacy organizations — the Literacy for Life Coalition, Literacy Volunteers of Tucson, Reach Out and Read Southern Arizona, Reading Seed, and Stories That Soar! — took a bold step and merged to become one strong organization that will empower people to create a culture of literacy and creative expression throughout our community.

Literacy is the foundation upon which the success of individuals, our economy and our community is built. Improving literacy improves all of our lives. Our new literacy organization is an innovator and the go-to resource that supports and connects the agencies and organizations promoting literacy in Southern Arizona. Celebrate with us as we unveil our new name and logo at the rally!

Because of your passion for literacy, we are able to do more together and serve thousands in our community from birth through adulthood. Let’s write the next chapter of our successful story as we officially launch our literacy movement at this fun, family-friendly rally!

Activities include:
- The unveiling of the new name of our organization
- Performances by Stories That Soar!
- An interactive, all-ages Community Rhythm Jam with Kenya Masala
- A presentation by the Tucson Festival of Books
- Book exchange
- Children’s activities

Show your support at the rally:
1. Participate – Put a group together from your neighborhood, organization, or business
2. Show our unity – Wear a plain, white t-shirt to demonstrate our collective unity around literacy
3. Tell us what literacy means to you – Create and bring posters or make your own at the rally
4. Bring a book to exchange – Take a book to read
5. Find out more information – Share it with others

You’re also invited to their Pre-Rally Poster-Making Party on Thursday, September 29th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, at Literacy Volunteers of Tucson, 2850 E. Speedway Blvd., where you can make your own poster to bring to the rally! (Poster supplies and refreshments provided.)

Click here for website: Tucsonliteracymovement.org

UA Humanities Seminars Offers Six Courses this Fall – from press release & website

“The University of Arizona’s Humanities Seminars Program will explore subjects that include the fall of the Roman Republic; the religion of Islam; the Gothic phenomenon in fiction and film; travels in human consciousness as reflected in literature; and the history and art of dancing, and climate change this fall for members of the Tucson community. All seminars will be led by UA faculty members.”

–Travels in Consciousness
Norman Austin, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Classics will teach a course entitled Travels in Consciousness on Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting September 30 to December 16. This seminar will explore the history of consciousness as reflected in a variety of texts. Readings will range widely, from Bronze Age Greece to American authors of the Twentieth Century. By “consciousness” is meant the ways in which individuals conceive of themselves and their world; it has to do not only with thought but also with feeling, volition, and behavior. There will be a wide range of course readings from Homer to Toni Morrison.

–Dancing: Body & Soul
From October 3 to December 12, in ten three-hour sessions, Prof. Emeritus of Dance and International Studies, John Wilson, will survey the diverse forms of dance in many cultures of the world. Special study will be given to the development of dance in Ancient Greece that provided the foundation for dance as an art form in Western Civilization. The course will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays.

–Fall of the Roman Empire
On Tuesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Visiting Assistant Professor in Classics Mike Lippman will track the downward spiral of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, starting from about 146 BC and continuing through the Battle of Actium of 31 BC, where Octavian established his sole reign as ruler of the Mediterranean. The course will meet from October 4 through December 13.

–Religion of Islam
Associate professor Scott Lucas will explore the beliefs and cultures of Islam and the Muslim world by covering the life and teachings of Muhammad, major themes of the Qur’an, and the primary differences between Sunni and Shi’i Muslims. His course will meet on Wednesdays for two hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. from October 5 through December 14.

–Classics of the “Gothic”: From Fiction to Film
Prof. Jerry Hogle from the Department of English will concentrate on Gothic literature, theatre and more recently, films, which have been a part of Western culture for over 250 years. These ideas, which present us with heightened–and sometimes lurid and monstrous—symbols of what really haunts us as a culture in our subconscious, began as a literary form in the 1760s. The class will meet on Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. from October 6 through December 15.

– Climate Change: Natural and Otherwise
Jonathan Overpeck, Co-Director of the UA Institute of the Environment will offer a seminar on Wednesdays 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 2011. This course will give students an understanding of how the Earth’s climate changes naturally, as well as how humans are driving this change. We will explore what is likely to happen in the future, resulting both from natural change and change driven by the human-caused rise of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and other influences.

All courses take place in the Dorothy Rubel Room in the Helen S. Schaefer Building at 1508 East Helen Street, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell. There is convenient parking in the Highland Garage across the street from the classroom.

For more information about these courses or the Humanities Seminars Program go to http://humanities.arizona.edu/humanities-seminar-program/current-courses or call Program Coordinator Kerstin Miller at (520) 626-7845 or email her at humansem@email.arizona.edu.

The website features videos in which professors discuss their upcoming classes. Classes cost between $90 and $195 depending on the particular seminar & number of classes.

The University of Arizona’s Humanities Seminars Program offers a variety of thought-provoking classes for adults in literature, fine arts, science, geopolitics, classics, film and more. The program is currently in its 28th year.

On Sunday September 25 Parade Magazine ran an article entitled “The Little Library that Could” on page 22 about a little library in Parker, Arizona. Click here for the online article. Apparently the western town has very few resources and the library is struggling to stay alive. This article appealed to me having grown up in rural Hawaii with only one little public library, which was a joy to me. (Like Parker we had no bookstore in my home town, but we did have two movie theaters- both closed now).

I had to look up Parker, AZ in my Arizona/New Mexico AAA Tour book as I confess I hadn’t heard of it. It indeed only has a population of 3,140 and is just north of Poston, along the Colorado River and the California border. Parker is named after attorney Ely Samuel Parker, the first Native American Commissioner (of Indian Affairs) for the U.S. Government.

If you Tucsonans want to help keep this “community resource” open, send donations to:
Parker Public Library
1001 W. Navajo Ave.
Parker, AZ 85344
928-669-2622

Their website is www.parkerpubliclibraryaz.org, and states that they will be closed till October 17 for asbestos & ADA barrier removal. The library was started in 1956 (with $16.70 from a bake sale) and opened its door in 1971. Here’s the history from their website:

Long a desire for many Parker people, the Junior Women’s Club of Parker took on the responsibility of beginning a Public Library on May 11, 1956. This began with a house to house campaign to collect books, and people wishing to donate, left their porch light on so the ladies would know to stop for collection. A Bake sale on May 5, 1956 was the first fundraiser for the Library and $16.70 was earned. At one time there was a donation of 2,000 volumes of books, that were donated by the Principal of the Valley School, Mr. Joseph Le Pera, he had received the books in 1952 from the Civic Women’s Club and gave the books to the Junior’s project. The Lions club came to the rescue when a building was needed to house the Library; they donated part of their youth center in the City Park (now Pop Harvey Park).

The Colorado River Indian School donated 500 books; $500 came from the Board of Supervisors thanks to Glen Strom. The Parker City Council voted to give $500.00 to the six new board members known as Trustees for the Libraries Benefit. The Board, named on September 14,1956, were William Hendrix, William Brennan, Mrs. Mary Carneal, Mrs. Ellen Dick, Mrs. Shirley Wilson and Mrs. Pat Gnau. Assisting with information on Libraries was the Yuma Public Library. The Yuma Jr. Chamber of Commerce donated 300 books. The Junior Women’s Club received the Citation Award from the Sears Roebuck Company thru the Arizona Federation of Women’s Clubs for their Community Improvement and Involvement. The Juniors than went on to sponsor the Arizona Repertory Theater of Phoenix for two plays.The profits going to the Library fund. The final big fundraiser by the Juniors was the “Follies” a Variety show featuring the entire community in different talent acts to the delight of friends and neighbors. This continued thru 1962.
Federal aid was secured for a new building located just across the street on the corner of Agency Road and Navajo Ave across from the old building. Occupancy began in the new building on July 18, 1971. The Parker Junior Women’s Club had the honor of serving as official hostess for the opening. Where the building still stands today.