WHAT:
GO READ! - a community effort to encourage as many area residents as possible to read and discuss the same book, at the same time - is bringing renowned author Ernest J. Gaines to James River High School at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 12, to meet more than 700 students from public and private high schools in Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties, who have read his book, "A Lesson Before Dying," this year's GO READ! book selection.

Gaines also will read from "A Lesson Before Dying" during a free public reading from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The book won the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and was a September 1997 Oprah Book Club® selection.

More than 30 official GO READ! events has taken place between September and December in libraries, churches, bookstores, high schools, college campuses, businesses and other area locations. Hundreds of area residents also have read the book as part of their book clubs.

WHEN:

CONTACT:

ABOUT GO READ!:
GO READ! is a not-for-profit community volunteer alliance, bringing together Richmond metropolitan area community, education and business leaders in an effort to promote literacy and civic involvement. The GO READ! program is modeled after successful One City, One Book programs in Seattle, Chicago; Rochester, N.Y.; and other cities.

For more information about GO READ!, visit our Web site at www.goreadrichmond.com

GO READ! Web site maintained by timesdispatch.com and the Richmond Times-Dispatch