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In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the job of firemen of the future is to set fires to books and the houses of citizens who own books. Another prominent feature in this novel is that entire walls and, in some cases, rooms of the houses are televisions. The occupants go into these rooms to interact with the “family” which lives in the walls.
The relationships between people and television, quite far-fetched when the book was written nearly 60 years ago, when TV was in its infancy, seem eerily familiar today. his will be the focus of Augusta County Library’s final program in the month-long Big Read.
“Please Stand By” will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, at the main library in Fishersville. (All programs at the library are free.
Dale Brumfield, formerly of New Hope, now a resident of Doswell, Va., is the author of Three Buck Naked Commodes, a collection of short stories. One of those stories is a nostalgic look at the television of his childhood, when networks were mom and pop ventures and you could see the broadcast tower from your house. In addition to being a student of what television used to be and what it has become, Brumfield is an insightful, funny speaker. His presentation promises to be informative and entertaining.
Following his talk, there will be a bonfire outside the library. Participants will be encouraged to turn cardboard boxes into effigies of televisions, and these will be used to fuel the fire. There is a station set up in the library this week for those who would like to construct their TV’s ahead of time.
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Chris Graham
