The Great Michigan Read 2011-2012 is drawing to a close. This year's selection has inspired displays and discussions across the states in public libraries and schools. The author, Kevin Boyle, received his undergraduate degree from University of Detroit-Mercy and his doctorate from University of Michigan. He is presently teaching at Ohio State University. Arc of Justice won the National Book Award in 2004 and was named Michigan Notable Book in 2005.

Michigan Humanities Council, in conjunction with Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion, has selected nine host sites for the Great Michigan Read traveling exhibit: We Don’t Want Them. The exhibit places the events documented in Kevin Boyle's Arc of Justice in a broader context of policies and practices that limited where some could live, thus impacting their past and present quality of life. We Don't Want Them opened in Flint and will travel around the state to the following cities:

• November: Three Rivers Public Library
• December: Davenport University, Grand Rapids
• January: Peter White Public Library, Marquette
• February: Detroit Science Center (Pending re-opening of the Detroit Science Center)
• March:
  • Interlochen Center for the Arts
  • Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City
  • Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City
• April: Castle Museum of Saginaw History
• May: Old Mill Museum, Dundee
• June: Artworks, Big Rapids

The Michigan Humanities Council will present the 2010 Michigan Author Homecoming, "Writing War: Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam," with noted writers Benjamin Busch, Philip Caputo, and Doug Stanton

• May 18 in East Lansing
• May 20 in Marquette

The events will celebrate the conclusion of the Council’s Great Michigan Read. Each event will be a moderated, panel-style discussion focusing on the impact of war on culture, particularly in relation to recent United States conflicts (Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam). There will be a book signing. Tickets are available online or by phone at (517) 372-7770.

Within the next two weeks, the Michigan Humanities Council will announce the guest authors at the 2010 Michigan Author Homecoming. The event will be held on May 18 in East Lansing and on May 20 in Marquette. It marks the end of the 2009-2010 Great Michigan Read, a book club for the entire state. With a statewide focus on a single book – Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen (pronounced bit-min-win) – it encouraged Michiganians to learn more about their state, their history, and the multiplicity of their society.

Online registration for both venues will be required; seating will be limited. Registration will be accessible via the Michigan Humanities Council website.

Watch the Michigan Humanities Council website for more information.

From October 26-30, you are invited to participate in a unique, virtual dialogue on "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" with individuals from other Michigan communities, high schools, colleges, and others. Questions emanating from Bich's tour visit Oct 13-17, as well as from her memoir, will be posed to stimulate dialogue on immigration stories, cultural understanding, and contemporary history.

Discussion will occur on the Great Michigan Read Facebook Discussion Board, beginning October 26. We look forward to the conversation and your participation!

The Michigan Humanities Council announced the details for Bich Minh Nguyen, author of Stealing Buddha's Dinner, to tour Michigan as part of the Council's 2009-2010 Great Michigan Read. The Council will bring Nguyen to five Michigan cities - Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Midland, Lansing, and Plymouth - from October 13-17, 2009. The public is invited to each event, but seating is limited. All events are free except where noted. A book signing will be provided at each location. Those interested are encouraged to contact each of the sites for more information.

During the week of October 26, the Michigan Humanities Council will initiate an online dialogue with high school classrooms and residents across the state. The dialogue will focus on Stealing Buddha's Dinner, perspectives presented in Nguyen's author tour, and the themes of cultural understanding, immigration stories, and contemporary history. The public is invited to participate, at the Council's Facebook Discussion Forum.