The Road will be spotlighted in a public reading by Sigma Tau Delta on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Old Main it. Reading will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until the final word of the novel is spoken, approximated as 5 p.m. Home-made refreshments will be available throughout the day.
The SHSU chapter of Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honor Society) seeks to blend the past and future of English literary heritage by combining the auditory experience of public reading with the subject of the contemporary novel, written by Cormac McCarthy.
“[The Road] is exactly what a book about our future ought to be,” said Tom Chiarella, commenting to Esquire magazine about the book.
McCarthy published the post-apocalyptic novel in 2006, a story which tells of the journey of a father and his son across a decimated nuclear wasteland, an idea which sprang from a visit to our very own El Paso, Texas. It was given the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as the 2006 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction.
Reading and reciting stories aloud is a tradition predating history, a diversion which has connected families and communities long before standardized language. Sigma Tau Delta invites all interested in listening or reading from The Road to attend the function, and to join in the SHSU’s literary community. For more information on the event, email Sigma Tau Delta President, Travis Franks, at tbf001@shsu.edu.