"The land is so much more than its analysis." ~ John Steinbeck
Virginia Yerxa Community Read
Supporting Community Through Reading
The Grapes of Wrath
Our 2012 selection was The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, The Grapes of Wrath chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. Events this year included a spring photography show, a year of sharing family migration stories, and a variety of events on Virginia Read Day on April 28.
For more detailed coverage, look for our 2012 Album on Facebook.
2012 Events
"CCAC Photography Show: Feeling at Home"
April 2012
The Colusa County Arts Council sponsored a photography show in black and white
featuring images that capture the feeling of home. Entries were in the style of photographer Dorothea Lange, who accompanied John Steinbeck as he was writing the articles that eventually became The Grapes of Wrath.
Virginia Read Day
April 28, 2013
2:00 p.m. - Book Presentation
Our readership enjoyed the book presentation and discussion, led by Chico professor Matt Brown, in Friendship Hall on 5th and Oak Streets.
4:00 p.m. - “Colusa County in the 1930s”
The community gathered at 735 Main Street, our unofficial "Virginia Read Headquarters," to enjoy the Sacramento Valley Museum exhibit, Banjo-ologist Gordy Ohliger sharing songs and stories from the Dust Bowl era, and paintings from The Land Series by artist Jeff Myers.
7:00 p.m. - Movie
A free screening of John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath" starring Henry Fonda was shown at the Colusa Movie Theater, 513 Market Street, Colusa.
What is "YOUR Story"?
The Dust Bowl brought the Joads to California. What brought your family? Our online event this year asked readers to share how their families came to California or settled in the area of Colusa.