***Apologies for any cross-postings*** *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *Thursday, January 14, 2021* *CONTACT:* Brandi Tambasco Adult Services Librarian Howell Carnegie District Library tambasco@howelllibrary.org 517-546-0720 x131 *Howell Carnegie District Library Partners with Michigan Humanities for 2019-20 Great Michigan Read* *Michigan Invited to Read Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s Book, ‘What the Eyes Don’t See’ * Howell, Mich. — Residents in the Howell area are invited to join in reading and discussing “What the Eyes Don’t See,” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s riveting account of her discovery that Flint’s children were being poisoned by lead leaching into the city’s drinking water. The book is Michigan Humanities’ choice for the 2019-20 Great Michigan Read <https://www.michiganhumanities.org/great-michigan-read/>, and the Howell Carnegie District Library is partnering with Michigan Humanities to provide related programming and free books with supporting educational materials for the Howell area. Members of the Howell community have two opportunities to participate in the Great Michigan Read through the Howell library. The monthly online Social Justice Book Club <https://howelllibrary.libcal.com/event/7301662/> led by Library Director Holly Ward Lamb will discuss “What the Eyes Don’t See” on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 7pm. A free copy of the book and reader’s guide are available for each participating registrant to pick up through the Library’s curbside service. On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, the Howell Carnegie District Library is honored to host a live virtual conversation <https://howelllibrary.libcal.com/event/7367251> with Great Michigan Read author Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and Jon King, News Director at Livingston County’s own WHMI 93.5 FM. The conversation will start at 7pm and include a Q&A session with registered participants. Questions for Dr. Hanna-Attisha can also be submitted prior to the program. Registration for both events is now open on the Library’s website, www.howelllibrary.org <https://howelllibrary.org/>. The Great Michigan Read aims to connect Michigan residents by deepening readers’ understanding of our state, our society, and our humanity. A statewide panel of teachers, librarians, community leaders, and book lovers selects the Great Michigan Read every two years. Shelly Hendrick Kasprzycki, Michigan Humanities president and CEO, says she hopes “What the Eyes Don’t See” will encourage Michigan citizens statewide to read, discuss, and learn from the book, and that it will increase opportunities for civil discourse on topics ranging from water quality and access to environmental injustice and the intersection of humanities and science. “Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s willingness to fight for children and tirelessly advocate for change in and beyond Michigan will have readers cheering as she follows the science and her young patients’ experiences to uncover one of the state’s worst public health catastrophes,” Kasprzycki said. Hanna-Attisha is the founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint. Currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development and a C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University, she has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. She was one of the first to question if lead was leaching from the city’s water pipes after an emergency manager switched the city’s water supply to the Flint River in 2014. She also is committed to increasing literacy in Flint and elsewhere. Hanna-Attisha said she was honored to have “What the Eyes Don’t See” chosen for the 2019-20 Great Michigan Read, and said the concepts of place and history are critically important to her book. “From the resistance of the Flint sit-down strikers to the reign of demagogue Charles Coughlin, Michigan’s DNA is full of history – some good and some bad and some shared and some hidden – which we must understand in order to address our present-day challenges,” said Hanna-Attisha. “Like so many Michiganders, my story is an immigrant story. It was critical to share this part of the story in this memoir because it informs how I see the world and the work that I am privileged to do.” The 2019-20 Great Michigan Read is presented by Michigan Humanities and supported by national, statewide, and local partners, including the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Meijer Foundation. ### *About the Howell Carnegie District Library* The Howell Carnegie District Library creates opportunities that transform lives through knowledge, for every age at any stage, one exceptional experience at a time. Located at 314 West Grand River Avenue in Howell, MI, the HCDL is currently open for curbside pickup and limited access to technology, with staff available by phone, Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm and Friday-Saturday 10am-2pm. Visit us online 24/7 at www.howelllibrary.org. *About Michigan Humanities* Michigan Humanities inspires Michigan residents to come together in creative and freely expressed ways to deepen our understanding of ourselves and enrich our communities. In carrying out this mission, Michigan Humanities builds awareness and excitement for humanities in everyday life, achieves best practices and sustainability for all humanities programs and services in Michigan, and upholds the following key values: inclusion, diversity, and equity; discovery and understanding; authentic conversation; respectful collaboration; and meaningful experiences. Michigan Humanities’ vision is for all people of Michigan to experience and understand the importance of humanities to enrich lives. *About the Great Michigan Read* The Great Michigan Read kicked off in 2007-08 with “The Nick Adams Stories” by Ernest Hemingway. The 2017-18 Great Michigan Read was “X: A Novel,” a fictionalized account of the early life and Michigan roots of civil rights leader Malcolm X written by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon. During 2017-18, a total of 295 participating organizations shared 8,000 copies of the books with readers in 59 of Michigan’s 83 counties, and Shabazz and Magoon spoke at 19 author events. Other Great Michigan Read books include “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner,” by Bich Minh Nguyen (2009-10); “Arc of Justice,” by Kevin Boyle (2011-12); “Annie’s Ghosts,” by Steve Luxenberg (2013-2014); and “Station Eleven,” by Emily St. John Mandel (2015-16). _________________________ Brandi Tambasco Adult Services Librarian Pronouns: she, her, hers Howell Carnegie District Library 314 W Grand River Howell, MI 48843 T: 517-546-0720 x131 F: 517-546-1494 tambasco@howelllibrary.org www.howelllibrary.org
