The third annual “No Book Left Behind: Celebrating Our Freedom to Read” festival will be held Sunday, Oct. 5, 12-5 p.m. at Revalation Vineyards. This family-friendly event is a celebration of the freedom to read and will feature a full program of author panels, discussions, and activities for all ages.
Highlights of the afternoon program will include readings related to the Vietnam War that have been banned from the high school curriculum by the school board in Madison County. A panel of Vietnam War veterans will read excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s landmark 1967 speech on the Vietnam War and the short story “Ambush” from the award-winning book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. This program will begin at 2:30 p.m.
The panel will be moderated by Professor Clifford W. Haury, an adjunct faculty member in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the University of Virginia. Haury, former dean of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Social Sciences at Piedmont Virginia Community College, served in the Army in Vietnam in 1970-71 and has taught many courses on the Vietnam War and the 1960s era. Currently, he is teaching a class entitled “American Society and War from Vietnam to the War in Afghanistan.”
Panelists also include Charles Jameson and Clark “Bud” Hall of Culpeper. Jameson was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam in 1970. He served with the 11th Armored Cavalry Artillery, the 5th Infantry Division, and with the 101st Airborne at the Laotian border. He earned a Purple Heart, multiple Bronze Stars and Army Commendation medals, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Hall began his service in Vietnam in 1965, serving with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9), and later joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hall has written extensively about his Vietnam War experience and will read from an original essay. All three panelists will share their own recollections of their time in Vietnam in addition to discussing the readings.
This year’s program also highlights several authors. At 1 p.m., author Andi Cumbo will moderate a panel entitled “The Gift of Reading,” which will feature authors Jeffrey Dale Lofton of Washington, D.C., author of the novel Red Clay Suzie; Nashae Jones of Richmond, author of middle-grade and young adult books such as Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish; and Jen Poteet of Madison County, author of several books including Not Everyone Wants Roses and Bones Picked Clean as well as a children’s book, A Night Under the Circus Tent.
At 4 p.m., Andrew Evans, acclaimed travel journalist and author of The Black Penguin, will read and discuss his work. Evans has published extensively in National Geographic and has visited more than 100 countries. The Black Penguin chronicles his 12,000-mile overland journey from Washington, D.C., to Antarctica using public transportation.
In between sessions, Madison County Library Director Bonnie Utz and Madison Literacy Foundation Director Brian Glade will speak briefly about their organizations.
The festival will also feature a number of community organizations and vendors, including the Madison County Library, Madison Literacy Council, MADSafe, NAACP Culpeper, and Hundred Acre Books. A craft table will be available for children, and food will be provided by the Cuba Mex Food Truck.
In an era of increasing debate surrounding book selection in school libraries, the festival aims to create a positive and inclusive atmosphere that champions access to a wide range of literature. The event provides a space for community members to come together in support of intellectual freedom.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the ‘No Book Left Behind’ festival for the third year in a row,” said event organizers Cindy Taylor and Françoise Seillier-Moiseiwitsch. “Our goal is to create a joyful and welcoming event that not only celebrates literature but also fosters a love of reading in people of all ages. In light of the ongoing conversations about book banning, we believe it is more important than ever to come together as a community and celebrate the power of stories.”
Revalation Vineyards, known for its scenic views and award-winning wines, provides the perfect backdrop for this celebration of literature and community. This event is free and open to the public.
