AUTHOR VIVIENNE SCHIFFER TO SPEAK AT UACCM

The E. Allen Gordon Library of the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will host Vivienne Schiffer for a special appearance Oct. 11 at noon. Her book, “Camp Nine,” is the 2013 selection for “If All Arkansas Read the Same Book,” a program led by the Arkansas State Library and funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Schiffer is a novelist and a screenwriter who grew up in Desha County, Arkansas. Her book, “Camp Nine,” depicts events that took place at the Rohwer Relocation Center, one of the two sites in Arkansas where 16,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned from 1942 to 1945. The fictionalized story is based on the account of an Arkansas Delta girl and her experiences with two internees and an American soldier from the nearby relocation center following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of war with Japan.

At UACCM, Schiffer will speak about her experiences as a writer and will discuss her book, “Camp Nine.” She will also share news concerning the progress of “Relocation Arkansas,” a documentary she is creating about the role her mother, a former mayor of McGehee, played in connecting Japanese-Americans with memorabilia from the Rohwer camp. It is not necessary that attendees read the book “Camp Nine” before the event, but those who do will be better informed on the topics that Schiffer will discuss.

“If All Arkansas Read the Same Book” is presented by the Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library, and all programs are offered free-of-charge to the public. The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Arkansas State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Created in 2001, this statewide reading program is designed to encourage the enjoyment of reading and to promote book discussion in libraries of all types across Arkansas. The Gordon Library at UACCM is one of eight host sites for the 2013 "If All Arkansas Read the Same Book" program.

The community is encouraged to attend this free event. For more information, contact Rebecka Embry by email at embry@uaccm.edu or by calling 501-977-2033.