Secrets of the State and National Security Issues: What Your Government Isn't Telling You

April 7, 2011
First Church, UCC Fellowship Hall
Our last session of the Big Read, organized by the North Central Chapter of American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and co-sponsored by Oberlin Big Read, featured Frank Kunstel, activist and director of the speakers bureau for the ACLU of Ohio. He spoke about government suppression of information and the public's right to know, focusing on the government's use of the category "classified" information, the "states secrets privilege" invoked by the Bush and Obama administrations, and the revelation of information via sources such as wikileaks.

Kunstel drew parallels between the dystopian future portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 with the current level of secrecy imposed by government agencies over a very broad range of information.  Among several references to further reading, Kunstel recommended the FAS Project on Government Secrecy (Federation of American Scientists).

Highlighted news stories on the FAS site includes this quote from the Washington Post:  Senate panel proposes that leakers of classified information lose pensions by Walter Pincus, Washington Post, April 6. "A Senate panel has proposed legislation that could strip government pensions from active and retired members of the intelligence community who knowingly avoid pre-publication review procedures when authoring works or delivering speeches."

Thank you to the North Central Chapter of ACLU Ohio for bringing Frank Kunstel to Oberlin.

Chris Crutcher visiting March 16th

Chris Crutcher, celebrated author of young adult novels, is visiting Oberlin on Wednesday, March 16.  Crutcher is the keynote speaker for Oberlin's Big Read.  During the day, he will be speaking to high school and middle school students in Oberlin.  Each of the high school grades read one of his books over the summer and now have a chance to meet the author and ask questions.  In the afternoon he will meet with a group of student writers on Oberlin's campus.

He will be speaking to the public at Oberlin Public Library at 7pm on 3/16, and his talk will focus on themes in Fahrenheit 451 around censorship and control of information.  Several of his books have been banned or challenged and he will speak about his experiences.   Please join us for the keynote talk! Cookies and juice will be served.  The talk will be followed by a book signing and chance to meet the author.

Finished reading? Pass it along!

We are very pleased that nearly every free copy of Fahrenheit 451 (200 copies total) has been given away to someone in the community.  We are even more pleased that we still have folks who would like to read the book!  If you have finished with your copy, consider bringing it back to the Oberlin Public Library or Oberlin College Library, so we may pass it along to another reader.  Thank you!

Oberlin College students and staff book discussion

Last week a group of Oberlin students got together to talk about Fahrenheit 451 over lunch. Discussion topics ranged from the book's Cold War context to the way some of the future technology Bradbury predicted in the 1950s has actually come into being. 

Many other discussion groups have been forming all over Oberlin.   There have been several public groups held at the Oberlin Public Library and a number of book clubs that have chosen to read and discuss the book.

OPL has book group kits that you can check out with copies of the book and reading guides, so if you'd like to host your own discussion group, pick up a kit and let us know how it goes.

Wag the Dog! Last film in our film series

Join us for the last showing in our F451 film series!

Wag the Dog

Wednesday, Jan 26, 2011

7 pm

Oberlin Public Library

Before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to "fabricate" a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal.

Director: Barry Levinson
Writers: Larry Beinhart, Hilary Henkin
Staring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Anne Heche

Good Night and Good Luck

Prior to the January 12 film showing at Oberlin Public Library, Alison Ricker read from the introduction to Readings on Fahrenheit 451, to provide the historical context of McCarthyism and Ray Bradbury's response to that era through his writing. Good Night and Good Luck, our second film in the F451 Film Series, explores the persecution by Senator McCarthy of suspected communists and communists sympathizers. The similar themes in the stories of the celebrated 1950s journalist Edward R. Murrow and Bradbury's futurist fiction gave the audience much to ponder.

Food for Thought: F451 reading groups in Oberlin restaurants

We have partnered with selected restaurants in town to sponsor Food for Thought, a program designed with small book discussion groups in mind.  Any group of three of more can be a book discussion group, and participating restaurants will offer an incentive to groups who read and discuss Fahrenheit 451 over a meal in the restaurant.  Some establishments are offering a ten-percent discount on the food portion of each meal; others are offering a free or discounted beverage or dessert when purchased with a meal.  The program extends through January.   

Take advantage of this opportunity to share a meal and discuss the book with friends or family! Just get a free copy of the book from the Oberlin Public Library and start reading.  Take the book and two or more reading pals to one of the participating restaurants, show the book to your server when ordering, and ask for the Food for Thought discount or promotion. Enjoy!

Participating restaurants include:   

• Beethoven's Bagels 774-7777
• The Feve 774-1978
• Fresh Start Diner  774-2841 
• Pizza Shack 774-3700
• The Slow Train Cafe  774-7570
• Yesterdays Ice Cream Shop 775-1410

Reading Between the Lines: Oberlin College

Take a look at the NEA Big Read blog, for an interview about the Oberlin Big Read:
Reading Between the Lines: Oberlin College

Pleasantville draws an appreciative audience

Young and old alike look forward to watching the movie.

Audience members settle in with fresh, hot buttered popcorn (courtesy of Oberlin Public Library reference librarian Marleen Watling) and listen to opening remarks from Oberlin College professor of English Nick Jones (below) before viewing Pleasantville on Wednesday, Jan. 5.  The public library was a great venue for the film - thank you to OPL library director Darren McDonough for preparing the space!

Nick Jones addresses the audience prior to the film showing.

Pleasantville resonated with themes in Fahrenheit 451 on several levels, from the disturbing book burning scene to mob mentality censoring freedom of expression.  My favorite scene has to be when Reese Witherspoon's character (Mary Sue, at that moment) chooses to put on reading glasses and focus on D. H. Lawrence, rather than head out for yet another joy ride to Lovers' Lane.  Her awakening to a deeper emotional state through reading excellent literature is not unlike Montag's development by reading forbidden texts.

We hope to see such a pleasant crowd again at the next three films during our Big Read Film Fest.  See you Wednesdays at 7pm in January - come early and enjoy the popcorn!  Oberlin Public Library community room.

January Film Series "Censorship, Media Control and Falsehood at the movies"

The Oberlin Community Big Read Film Series

Censorship, Media Control and Falsehood at the Movies

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Four Fantastic Films that Follow up on Features of Ray Bradbury's
Future Fiction, Fahrenheit 451

­­­­­­­­­Wednesdays   •  7:00 pm  •  Oberlin Public Library  •  Free  •

Fun  •  Thought-provoking  •  Free popcorn!

January         5	Pleasantville	Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire are 1980s teens who find themselves living in the complacency of a 1950s TV show. Things begin to change!
January 12	Good Night and Good Luck	George Clooney directs and acts in this docu-drama about the courageous TV anchorman Edward R. Murrow resisting authority in the Cold War.
January 19	The Truman Show	Jim Carrey and Laura Linney star in a 1998 fantasy comedy about a perfect small town life that turns out to be a media fraud.
January 26	Wag the Dog	Hollywood spin artists invent a war to win a presidential election. A 1998 comedy with Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Anne Heche.

The Big Read is funded by the NEA in cooperation with the IMLS and Arts Midwest, and sponsored by Oberlin College, Oberlin Public Library and the Oberlin City Schools, 2010/11.