Big D Reads Kickoff
A crowd of 300 gathered at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library for the launch of Big D Reads, a volunteer-led community book club initiative in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas, nonprofit publisher Deep Vellum, D Magazine Partners, and 50+ others.
As part of the initiative, Big D Reads printed 30,000 copies of The Accommodation by Jim Schutze, which tells the mid-century history of Dallas, centered on the civic response to the bombing of Black residents’ homes in South Dallas.
“You shouldn’t read this book alone,” said D Magazine Partners publisher Noelle LeVeaux. “We hope that The Accommodation and the 40+ events planned around it will educate, inspire, and bring disparate groups of people together across our city to help forge a more equitable future for Dallas.”
Dallas’ first poet laureate Joaquín Zihuatanejo read a poem inspired by the book “For A Place Called Dallas,” followed by a performance from the South Dallas Concert Choir, remarks from publisher Will Evans of Deep Vellum Publishing, The Accommodation author Jim Schutze, and more.
For the full calendar of events throughout the month, including Faith and the City: The Role of Faith Communities in Shaping Dallas’ Future featuring Rev. Richie Butler, Rev. David Wilson, Rev. Virzola Law, Dr. Michael W. Waters, and Dr. Robert Jeffress Sept. 12 at SMU McCord Auditorium and a Project Unity’s Together We Dine event with a discussion about the book Sept. 29 at Highland Park United Methodist Church, as well as where to get a copy, click here.
