Acclaimed author and New Rochelle resident Cynthia Ozick and Molly-Thomas Hicks, Literature Specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), held a discussion about the novella, The Shawl, before an audience of students in eleventh and twelfth grades at New Rochelle High School on Tuesday, November 17. The classes have been reading Ozick’s the book The Shawl as part of New Rochelle’s Big Read. Audience members had the opportunity to pose questions to the engaging author and Ms. Thomas-Hicks, who has facilitated similar Big Read events in communities across the country. Cynthia Ozick reminisced of her high school days. Her advice to potential writers was to also be readers. She discussed the “seed” for the novella, as well as historical context, and character symbolism. New Rochelle is one of 269 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read which began in September 2009. New Rochelle began its focus on The Shawl on October 18. The lunch-hour discussion at New Rochelle High School was one of many events hosted by the New Rochelle Public Library that have been taking place throughout New Rochelle during the project, which will conclude at the end of November.
From Maggie Skau at BoE.