Duquesne’s Big Read Program Features ‘When the Emperor Was Divine’

The Gumberg Library is hosting a Spring 2017 Big Read event featuring the novel When the Emperor Was Divine by author Julie Otsuka. Duquesne University is one of just 77 non-profits selected to receive a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant to host a Big Read project.

The Big Read project invites readers from the Duquesne University community and the public to participate. When the Emperor Was Divine tells the story of the experience of a Japanese-American family forced from their Berkley, Calif., home and sent to live in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Gumberg Library has purchased 900 books for the community, but a limited amount of free copies of the novel are available by contacting Christie Kliewer in Gumberg Library at kliewerc@duq.edu. Otherwise, Gumberg will have copies available for Duquesne community members to check out.

“It is an incredible honor to have been selected as a recipient for the NEA Big Read grant,” said University Librarian Dr. Sara Baron. “This award gives Duquesne an opportunity to host a series of events related to When the Emperor Was Divine. Book discussions will spark conversations about the novel’s themes, both looking back at a historically turbulent time in America as well as examining the world today. Together, we will read this book to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves.”

As part of the project, various educational and cultural events and activities relevant to the novel such as a Haiku Workshop, an Origami Workshop and a Japanese tea ceremony also will be among the events held. A taiko drumming performance will be featured at the Big Read’s March 16 kick-off event, and Otsuka will visit campus on March 30 to discuss her book. A detailed list of the program’s events is available at http://guides.library.duq.edu/BigRead/events.

According to Kliewer, outreach and communications librarian, the selection When the Emperor Was Divine was influenced by Duquesne’s mission of social justice and global diversity. “Our Big Read project is an opportunity to consider the reality and consequences of Japanese-American internment camps and their bearing on current events,” she explained.

Additional information on the Big Read project, including overviews and reviews of the novel, teacher resources and videos and podcasts related to When the Emperor Was Divine can be found on the Gumberg website.