Each week on ‘In Touch’, our locally produced public affairs program, I have the pleasure of talking with individuals and organizations from all over the Hudson Valley. We focus on non-profit organizations and volunteers who are working hard to help make all of our communities better places to live, work, and raise our families.

This week Jewel Ratzlaff, Big Read Coordinator for the Poughkeepsie Public Library District, stopped by our studios to talk about not only which book was chosen for this year's Big Read, but also all of the many and varied events planned during October for this annual event.

photo by Jewel Ratzlaff
photo by Jewel Ratzlaff
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This year's book is 'Into The Beautiful North', by Luis Alberto Urrea. As you'll hear Jewel explain in the interview below, Luis grew up with two cultures, languages, and countries, which has obviously influenced his writing. In fact, one of the 75 events surrounding this book and this year's Big Read is 'Meet the Author' event on Saturday, October 29 at 2:30 pm at The Boardman Road Branch Library.

Design: Allison J. Warner and Cover Photograph: Christine Rodin/Trevillion Images
Design: Allison J. Warner and Cover Photograph: Christine Rodin/Trevillion Images
photo courtesy of The Poughkeepsie Public Library District
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There will be lectures and panels, movies, programs for kids, dance performances, even food all in conjunction with this book and the topics covered within. Jewel does a much better job of explaining all of this in our interview below, so I'll stop typing and let her speak. Thanks to Jewel for stopping by and bringing me a copy of the book, my husband and I are fighting over who gets to read it first.

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