NORTH CANTON — Kent State University is one of 62 organizations nationwide to be awarded a 2023-2024 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grant. The Stark Campus’ $14,100 grant will support the Big Read Northeast Ohio, a community reading program and related events this fall.
Kent State Stark will present Thi Bui, author of the award-winning graphic memoir, “The Best We Could Do,” for a keynote event and book reading 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the campus Conference Center, 6000 Frank Ave. NW. The event is free, but registration is requested. Visit www.kent.edu/stark/thi-bui for a registration link and more information.
Bui, who was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of a wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War, explores the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family.
Kent State Stark presents Bui as part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read and Arts Midwest, an initiative that seeks to broaden understanding of the world through the exploration of award-winning books that showcase diverse themes, voices and perspectives. The Stark Campus is also receiving support from the following community partners: Stark Library, McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and Canal Fulton Public Library. Additional funding is being provided by Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the DEAR Committee.
