Pittsfield Author Wins Public Radio Award
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Literacy advocate and author Ty Allan Jackson is one of three recipients of the 2017 Arts & Humanities Award from New England Public Radio.
Jackson joins illustrator Barry Moser and the Northampton Jazz Workshop. Recipients will be celebrated at the ninth annual Arts & Humanities Awards Celebration on May 24 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Tickets are available at NEPR.net. Proceeds support the programs and services of New England Public Radio.
"We are happy to recognize these worthy nominees," said Stephen Wittenberg, chair of the NEPR Foundation's engagement committee. "This is really a community-wide effort in acknowledging the great talent we are lucky to have here in the Valley."
Established by the New England Public Radio Foundation, Inc. in 2008, the NEPR Arts & Humanities Awards have been recognizing the rich and varied arts scene in the region ever since. The award celebrates the contributions of local talent and brings public awareness to the critical role played by musicians, artists, dancers, actors, writers, storytellers and teachers in western New England.
Jackson is a children's book author, publisher, literacy advocate and motivational speaker living in Pittsfield. His literacy organization, Big Head Books, LLC was founded in 2009 to expose children to the joy of reading. By visiting schools, libraries, youth organizations and correctional facilities around the country and at home in western Massachusetts, Big Head Books entertains and empowers kids while sharing with adults the importance of reading in a fun, upbeat and contemporary way.
Jackson has been called one of the most important authors in America because of his message of inspiration and his ability to make the most reluctant young reader into a reading superhero. He has collaborated with organizations including The United Way, The YMCA, The Boys and Girls Club, Google for Entrepreneurs, Children of Promise, several financial institutions and countless public, private and charter schools.
Jackson is the co-founder of the READ OR ELSE Movement that distributes books to children in homeless shelters across the county, and is also the co-founder of The F.U.L.L. Program, which helps incarcerated parents stay connected to their children and families by promoting literacy as a way to help sever the cycle of incarceration. He has been acknowledged and awarded by mayors, senators, governors and even First Lady Michelle Obama for his efforts to promote literacy.
Tags: books,
