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OCTC's Common Reading Selection "Wrecked" by Kentucky Author, Heather Henson

Author Keynote Presentation, Brunch, and Book Reading and Signing on Tues. Mar. 19, 2024

by Katie Powers

Owensboro, KY (01/31/2024) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) invites the community to participate in all related events for this fall's upcoming Common Reading event. The book for Spring 2024 is "Wrecked" by Kentucky author, Heather Henson.

Henson is scheduled to visit OCTC Tuesday, March 19, 2024 for a keynote presentation, book reading, and book signing at 12:30 p.m. in Blandford Lecture Hall located in the Humanities Building on OCTC's Main Campus; the event is open to the public. For more information, please contact kaye.brown@kctcs.edu.

About the Author and the Book

Heather Henson was raised in Danville, Kentucky amidst the rich history of Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky's oldest outdoor theatre that was founded by her very own father in 1950. Henson now manages the theatre as its director but has also authored several award-winning and critically acclaimed books for young people, including "That Book Woman," illustrated by Caldecott Medal-winner David Small, and "Lift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop, Slave-Explorer," illustrated by Caldecott Medal-honoree Bryan Collier.

For several years, Henson was an editor in New York City at HarpersCollins Publishers, but has since moved back to her home state of Kentucky. She and her family are in the process of restoring an old home on their farm with her husband, Tim Ungs, and their three children.

OCTC Professor of English, NEH Endowment Chair, and Common Reading Program Co-Chair, Kaye Brown said, "Students seem to be responding to this book on several levels, including relating to relationships with one another, with nature, with the idea of reading a Kentucky story, and of course, sadly, with the issues associated with drug addiction and recovery."

"Wrecked" is a fast-paced novel that uses Shakespeare's play, The Tempest as a "jumping off point," but it's set in current Appalachian Kentucky and approaches themes such as Kentucky's natural beauty, single parenting, bullying, motorcycles, and the opioid crisis and repercussions," says OCTC professor of English, MFA and Common Reading Program co-chair, Tonya Northenor.

Brown added, "The students who feel comfortable sharing heart-breaking stories of families torn apart by addiction are very brave and seem to appreciate the chance to talk about this particular pain. We're so grateful for "Wrecked" and that Heather Henson is visiting us in March!"

More Spring 2024 Common Reading events that are open to the community!

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 @ 9:30 a.m. in Advanced Technology Center, Rm. 107, OCTC Main Campus: OCTC student, Christine Vigil will be giving a presentation, "Waking Up: Hope in the Face of Addiction."

Thursday, February 22, 2024 @ 12:30 p.m. in Blandford Lecture Hall, HUM Bldg., OCTC Main Campus: OCTC Associate Professor of Sociology, Chad Gesser will be giving a presentation, "Sound, Design, and Sociology: the Why and Why Not of Wrecked's Fen."

Heads Up!

Keep an eye out for an announcement about our 20th year anniversary celebration of the Owensboro Community & Technical College Common Reading Program during the Fall 2024 semester!

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