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| Preface |
| Introduction |
| Historical Context |
| About the Author |
| Other Works/Adaptations |
| Discussion Questions |
| Additional Resources |
| Credits |
| Teacher's Guide |
It is hard to believe that The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter was the first book of a twenty-three year-old author (who had started the novel at nineteen!). This tragic, small-town drama is so ambitious in its scope—presenting five radically different characters whose troubled lives intersect in the Depression-era South—it always seems like the work of a master storyteller.
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 NEA report, identified a critical decline in reading for pleasure among American adults. The Big Read aims to address this issue directly by providing citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities.
A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us. Whether you're a regular reader already or a nonreader making up for lost time, thank you for joining the Big Read.
Dana Gioia
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
