VALDOSTA — The Big Read, a nationwide project aimed at curtailing a critical decline in literary reading among adults, has come to the city with several events scheduled through Nov. 10.

The city is one of 117 communities in the nation that are hosting a “Big Read” program this fall. The month-long reading celebration kicked off in the city Sunday at John W. Saunders Park on River Street with guest readings of Valdosta’s chosen literary work — Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

The novel was published in 1934. The acclaimed author died in 1960.

Attendees at the Sunday kick off heard local notables read from Hurston’s work, cited by many scholars as an “African American feminist classic,” and by many others as a work that stretches far beyond those boundaries.

The ‘feminist classic’ stigma is certainly a frequent statement, notes National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia, in his preface to a publication on this fall’s national Big Read celebration.

“But it is a misleadingly narrow and rather dull way to introduce a vibrant and achingly human novel,” Gioia writes. “The syncopated beauty of Hurtson’s prose, her remarkable gift for comedy, the sheer visceral terror of the book’s climax, all transcend any label that critics have tried to put on this remarkable work.”

The NEA started The Big Read program after the organization’s 2004 report, “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America” determined that a critical decline in literary reading is occurring in America.

VSU’s Odum Library, Dewar College of Education and master of Library Information Science program teamed up with the city,

South Georgia Regional Library System, city schools and Moody Air Force Base to apply for the NEA grant that pays for the program and its activities.

Local organizers chose Hurston’s book because she is a regional author from Eatonville, Fla., near Orlando, and because many of her themes — such as love, power, friendship and event the weather — are relevant today.

A busy schedule of Big Read activities fills library calendars for October and November, but key events for Valdosta include:

• Performance by VSU’s Department of Theatre’s Readers group, 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, Odum Library Auditorium.

• Children’s and Youth Festival, 9 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 3, Valdosta-Lowndes County Public Library. Activities will include an author reading, storytelling, poetry contests, and singing and dancing.

• An Evening Wrapped In Rainbows, 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10, Magnolia Room, University Center, VSU. Valerie Boyd, author of “Wrapped In Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston,” is guest speaker.

For more information on local Big Read events, go to “Calendar of Events” link at www.valdosta.edu/library/about/bigread.shtml.

At Saunders Park Sunday, Zora Neale Hurston’s work came to life through several readings from the controversial novel. Laverne Gaskins, a VSU attorney, offered the first take, noting that Hurston’s prose and her use of colloquial language, including “non-standard” or broken English as spoken in period by African Americans, was a clever tool used by Hurston to “bring her characters to life” and to “conjure up the real character” for readers.

Dr. Shirley Hardin, VSU Director of African American Studies and professor of English at VSU, also gave a reading from Hurston’s novel. Hardin wrote part of her doctorate dissertation at Florida State University on Hurston.

“I’m a little bit intimidated this afternoon with this task,” Hardin said, “especially as Ms. Hurston has been resurrected.”

Hardin was referring to Mistress of Ceremonies Nadine Whitfield, an instructor at VSU’s College of Education, who was hosting in the character of Hurston.

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board,” Hardin began in her reading from Hurston’s work.

Sunday’s kick-off attendees were treated to more than Hurston’s work. There were helium balloons and face painting for the kids, food, performance by Church at Pine Hill’s Tribe of Judah Step Team, food and more.

Valdosta Mayor John Fretti opened The Big Read Sunday by declaring Big Read Month in the city.

Fretti said he often goes into public schools to speak to students about the importance of reading. He said he asks kids what their favorites sports are, and when he asks how they became good at the sport, they always say they practiced.

“The more you read, the better you read, the faster you read,” Fretti said. “I encourage them to practice reading. The more you read, the better you get at reading. Read something every day, something you want to read. Then when you have to read those things you don’t necessarily want to read, like a mortgage contract or a job application.”

Fretti also encouraged adults to challenge youth to read something every day for fun.

“Wake up, and read. That’s what we want to tell you. We want to be a stronger learned community and improve our literacy rate. A key part of the answer is reading,” Fretti said. “Reading should be an American past time.”