Frankenreads

FAIN: GA-255923-17

Keats-Shelley Association of America, Inc. (New York, NY 10018-2788)
Neil R. Fraistat (Project Director: December 2016 to May 2019)

To commemorate the bicentennial of the publication of Frankenstein, the Keats-Shelley Association of America (K-SAA) proposes “Frankenreads,” a national/international series of public programs and educational curriculum that culminates in a public reading of Frankenstein on October 31, 2018.

To commemorate the bicentennial of the publication of Frankenstein and also to harness its power to generate communities of readers, the Keats-Shelley Association of America (K-SAA) proposes adapting public engagement techniques pioneered in the Digital Humanities to launch “Frankenreads”: a “Bloomsday” style, national/international public reading of Frankenstein on October 31, 2018 (Halloween), a date we believe will generate significant media interest. A partnership with NEH through the support of a Chairman’s Grant would enable us to (1) engage an international community, including but not limited to North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific in related activities centering on the novel; (2) to make this community visible globally as a community through shared branding and social media; (3) to livestream a public reading of Frankenstein to be held at NEH headquarters for those around the world who are unable to attend one in person; (4) to facilitate bringing regional experts of the novel to such events as lectures, discussions, and film showings held at local libraries and community centers; (5) to hold in conjunction with students, teachers, and the public could contribute their thoughts, images, and shirt film about all of this activity, focused on the continued centrality of the novel in international contemporary culture.