Meet Roz Chast, the author of "Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant," at a lovely event emceed by J.C. Geiger. Both folks will be on Zoom, with a viewing party at Wordcrafters in Eugene.

Shelton McMurphey Johnson House and Wordcrafters in Eugene are partnering on a community book reading event, The Big Read, supported by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.

From November 2023 to March 2024, both organizations will host meetings and workshops throughout Eugene and Springfield to facilitate reading, talking about, and creating art around Roz Chast’s graphic novel memoir, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? Eugene/Springfield is one of 62 communities nationwide participating in the 2023-2024 NEA Big Read.

Chast’s memoir perfectly blends wit and solemnity as she describes her struggle to take care of her aging parents, who would very much prefer not to discuss the subject of anything relating to mortality.

The Big Read project is a national effort funded by the National Endowment of the Arts which seeks to bolster community connections and inspire meaningful conversations through community reading events focused on books from authors of many different backgrounds and genres. The Lane County Big Read event is perfect for families, friends, and bookworms from all walks of life!

Events include November’s kick-off event, book and panel discussions, an author talk, and workshops for adults and youth.

At this event, Roz Chast, a New Yorker Cartoonist and author of our focus book, "Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant," will be phoning in over Zoom in an event emceed by the wonderful J.C. Geiger. A viewing party will be held at the Wordcrafters in Eugene studio. Participants are even able to submit questions in advance for Roz Chast to answer through this form: https://forms.gle/XpTeKAR2qRvc5JuZ7