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"Big Read" event kickoff
dbryce@journalnet.com
POCATELLO -- Who better to emcee an event dedicated to "Housekeeping" than local cleaning guru, Don Aslett? While "Housekeeping," the book chosen for Pocatello's "Big Read," has nothing to do cleaning, or housekeeping, Aslett and the book's author Marilynne Robinson share similar backgrounds -- both are from the Gem state and both have authored several books. The Big Read is hosted by the Marshall Public Library, which received a $5,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The event started in September and finishes in June 2009, and is an opportunity for the community to come together to read, discuss and celebrate a literary classic. Robinson will speak at the Stephen's Performing Arts Center Saturday. Idaho's First Lady Lori Otter will introduce the well-known writer and Aslett, who's written 42 books about cleaning and organizing will serve as the master of ceremonies during the event. Groups will meet throughout the surrounding communities, including a group at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center, to will read and discuss "Housekeeping."
Robinson's fictional classic, published in 1980, was passed over for a Pulitzer, but did receive the Pen-Hemingway Award. A native of Sandpoint, she went on to win the coveted Pulitzer in 2005 for her book "Gilead."
Robinson, who currently teaches at the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop, released her latest book, "Home," in September. Aslett joined in the reading program Wednesday by passing out copies of the "Housekeeping" and providing tours of his Clean Museum, currently located inside the cleaning center on South Fifth Street.
Spokeswoman Tobi Alexander said Pocatello was the only city in the nation to select "Housekeeping" for the national reading event. The Big Read culminates in Pocatello with a showing of the film version of book, which presents the lives of three generations of foster families. The book deals with death, abandonment and heartbreak, said Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Alexander said about 100 copies were distributed at Aslett's Cleaning Center. "As an author, Don wanted to honor the writer," Alexander said.
Aslett is also in the process of building the Museum of Clean at 711 S. First St. The center will include interactive displays and Kid's Clean World, aimed at instilling good cleaning habits in children. The museum will house more than 6,000 items, including the largest pump vacuum collection in the world. One of its most unique displays will be a 4,000-pound, horse-drawn street sweeper.
The museum's most unique feature will be the 75,000-square-foot building, itself. Formerly Challenge Dairy, the building is only the second in Idaho to be constructed using the LEED Green Building Rating system.
The rating system evaluates environmental performance throughout the lifespan of a building and provides a standard for what constitutes "green" construction. By Debbie Bryce
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