NEVADA HUMANITIES NEWS RELEASE — Nevada Humanities presents The Biggest Little City Book Quest, an area-wide scavenger hunt that offers participants the chance to explore the literary secrets of the Truckee Meadow’s most historic places. The Biggest Little City Book Quest scavenger hunt takes place from July 1-22, culminating with the monthly Nevada Humanities Salon discussion program, “Literature and Place in the Truckee Meadows,” on July 26, 6:00 p.m., at Sundance Books and Music in Reno.
The Biggest Little City Book Quest was born out of Nevada Humanities’ desire to highlight the creative spirit at work in the Truckee Meadows, an area that has historically had a prolific and extensive writing community. Yet for many residents, this history is practically unknown. Dr. Karen Wikander, the managing editor of Nevada Humanities’ Online Nevada Encyclopedia, came up with the idea of the The Biggest Little City Book Quest after reading an article in the literary journal Ploughshares.
“Ploughshares has an ongoing series about literary boroughs in America and they featured the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. It wasn’t until reading this piece that I discovered what a rich literary history – and present – we have in the area, and I wanted to share that with the community,” explained Wikander.
Scavenger hunt participants are given a list of clues and questions to guide them in their searches. The Biggest Little City Book Quest has two different paths: one with answers submitted via digital photographs, and one with written submissions without photographs. Participants on the digital photography path submit innovative photographs that provide the answers to the hunt’s clues. Participants on the written path are required to write a caption about each answer’s location, inspired by the sense of place – haiku, poems, satire – innovation is strongly encouraged. Regardless of which path is chosen, the judges will be looking for correct answers presented as creatively and as imaginatively as possible. People can join the scavenger hunt as individuals, a team, or a family, though teams are limited to five people. Scavenger hunt submissions are due to Nevada Humanities by midnight on July 22. Submissions will be judged by a panel of community experts, and prizes will be awarded for adult and children’s entries. Winners will be announced on July 26, during the Salon program. Complete scavenger hunt rules and clues are available for pickup at Sundance Books and Music or online at nevadahumanities.org.
On Friday, July 26, the scavenger hunt program will end with a Nevada Humanities Salon: “Literature and Place in the Truckee Meadows.” The Salon is a monthly gathering where a select group of panelists and members of the audience have a conversation about a variety of thought-provoking topics and ideas. Part panel discussion, part conversation, part social event, The Salon encourages participants to explore new ideas in facilitated conversation and then together informally while enjoying refreshments. July’s Salon will take place at 6:00 p.m. at Sundance Books and Music, 121 California Avenue, Reno, with an accomplished group of panelists including: Mark Maynard, who recently published Grind, a collection of stories about the Truckee Meadows; Dr. Alicia Barber, a writer, historian, and expert on the Reno landscape; and Dr. Bernie Schopen, the author of three Reno-based mystery novels and a member of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. Both The Salon and The Biggest Little City Book Quest are free and open to the public.
These programs are made possible through the financial support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission, and through Nevada Humanities’ ongoing partnership with Sundance Books and Music. The Biggest Little City Book Quest is also part of July’s Artown celebration.
Nevada Humanities is Nevada’s independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities creates public programs and supports public projects statewide that define the Nevada experience, feature local culture and heritage.
