Waterbury Reads: A book by Rushdie

The Waterbury Public Library has been awarded a number of copies of Salman Rushdie’s “Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” courtesy of the Vermont Humanities Council.

The library will co-host a communitywide book discussion for all ages on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the Crossett Brook Middle School library.

Participants will listen to parts of Rushdie’s audiocast of the story and have some light snacks. A question-and-answer session will be led by the librarians from Crossett Brook Middle School and Waterbury Public Library.

This story will resonate with people of all ages, illuminating the power, necessity and enduring value of storytelling. Quoting a Vermont Public Radio interview with Rushdie, “Storytelling is universal and, while there has always been an element of entertainment to good storytelling, it serves a more profound purpose. Storytelling is our way of telling our history and the history of those around us. It helps us make sense of the universe.”

In keeping with the theme of the story, some middle-grade students will be paired with an elder from the Waterbury Senior Center and prepare interview questions to draw out a life story.

The students will then create a representation of the senior’s story via book, slide show, poster, etc., to be showcased at the Waterbury Senior Center on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Copies of the book are now available at the Waterbury Public Library circulation desk; no library card is needed. A limited number of books on CD are also available. An abridged audio version is available at vermonthumanities.org.

Information: Elise Werth, 244-7036; Jen Hill, 244-6100.