The Great American Read

As part of PBS’s The Great American Read program, Nancy Carr moderated a panel discussion of four books from the top 100 list on October 20 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Panelists included Donna Seaman, adult books editor at Booklist; Liesl Olson, director of Chicago Studies at the Newberry Library; and Julia Fine, novelist and writing instructor. After a screening of part of the PBS program, panelists considered the legacies of Invisible Man, The Great Gatsby, Rebecca, and Little Women and took questions from audience members.

You can watch the show’s October 24 finale, which features top vote-getter To Kill A Mockingbird, here. 

For more about The Great American Read, visit wttw.com/read, where you can find information about the winning book, To Kill A Mockingbird, and all the books that made the top 100 list. You’ll also find plenty of other interactive literary content, including author interviews, quizzes, and book recommendations. And if your favorite novel didn’t make the list, share it (#GreatBooksGreatRead)! You can watch other episodes of The Great American Read here.

We offer free discussion guides for a dozen of the novels included in The Great American Read or great books by the same authors. Let us know what your group is reading, and share your experience!