One Book, One Arlington 2009
Join us! One Book, One Arlington - the seventh annual community-wide read, takes place in October and early November 2009. It is a collaborative project of the Arlington Public Library, UT Arlington, and the Arlington Independent School District. This year One Book is focusing on Jim Dent’s Twelve Mighty Orphans. Check out your copy today.
Jim
Dent, a longtime award-winning journalist who covered the Dallas Cowboys for
eleven years in Fort Worth and Dallas, including a stint at the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram, has written seven books.
Twelve Mighty Orphans, the focus of our One Book, One Arlington program,
tells the Depression-era true story of the mighty orphans from the Masonic
Home in Fort Worth, Texas.
More than a century ago, the Masonic Home was constructed for the purpose of
housing and educating the orphans of Texas Freemasons. It was a humble
project that for years existed quietly on a hillside east of town. Life at
the Home changed with the arrival of a lean, bespectacled coach by the name
of Rusty Russell who, in virtually no time at all, brought the orphans’
story into the homes of millions of Americans.
The scrawny orphan football team captured the hearts and minds of Americans
as they dominated Texas high school football for much of the 1930s, reaching
the state semifinals twice and the finals once during the decade. As Wes
Lukowsky has written, “This is Seabiscuit for football fans, sure to attract
narrative nonfiction fans who like to mix sports, inspiration, and popular
history.” They beat all odds succeeding at the game of football as well as
the game of life.
The story appeals to those who wonder about nurture/nature, those interested
in real life Depression-era stories, and ideas of success, children, love
and families.
The book has been through 20 printings with over 250,000 books sold.
Jim Dent lives in Texas.
Schedule of Events
October 15, 6:30 p.m.
Southeast Branch Library
KICKOFF with a presentation of the “Mighty Mites” segment of KERA’s Nowhere But Texas 2 documentary and Reading & Radio Resource’s recorded interview of some of the former residents of the Masonic Home and School in Fort Worth.
Guest speaker Joe Macko
October 23, 4 p.m.
East Arlington Branch
JOE MACKO, the Texas Rangers’ Goodwill Ambassador will speak to children about his career in baseball and the importance of a healthy body and mind. This program is for elementary school children and their parents.
Guest speaker Ron St. Angelo
October 23, 6:30 p.m.
George W. Hawkes Central Library
RON ST. ANGELO, a former Dallas Cowboys photographer, will display photos and have a Q&A regarding sports photography.
Guest speaker Bryan Trubey
October 27, 7 p.m.
Architecture Building (601 W Nedderman Dr, Room 204, UT Arlington campus)
MEET COWBOYS’ STADIUM ARCHITECT Bryan Trubey from HKS, Inc., the firm that designed the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium. Trubey, principal architect, will discuss this extraordinary facility. UTA Dean of Architecture Don Gatzke and HKS President H. Ralph Hawkins will be special guests. Hawkins is an alumnus of UT Arlington. HKS is designing the UT Arlington Special Events Center. Everyone is welcome.
Guest speakers Alison Moore and Phil Lancaster
November 12, 6:30 p.m.
Southwest Branch Library
RIDERS ON THE ORPHAN TRAIN, Alison Moore and Phil Lancaster will tell the story through a multimedia presentation of 250,000 orphans who were put on trains in New York between 1854 and 1929 to be given away all over the United States, 1,200 of them in Texas.
An Evening with Jim Dent
November 13, 6:30 p.m.
Cowboys’ Stadium, DallasPress Box
Join us for hors d'oeuvres and a presentation by the author of Twelve Mighty Orphans, The Junction Boys, The King of the Cowboys, The Undefeated, Monster of the Midway, and Resurrection: The Miracle Season that Saved Notre Dame. Mr. Dent covered the Cowboys as a sportswriter for 11 years. Barnes & Noble will sell books at the event and Mr. Dent will sign them. $35/person admission (parking included.) Reservation must be made by October 30 by mailing the order form to:
Public Library Foundation
101 East Abram Street
Arlington TX 76010
Click here to print the ticket order form.
BOOK DISCUSSIONS - Twelve Mighty Orphans
November 3, 7 p.m.
Woodland West Branch
November 5, 6:45 p.m.
Lake Arlington Branch
November 10, 7 p.m.
Northeast Branch
November 11, 11 a.m.
Southwest Branch
SHORT STORY CONTEST
Theme: Sports-A Life Changing Experience
Category 1: junior high & high school students
Category 2: adults
Prizes: 1st in each category
October 1: rules available at all Library locations and on the Library’s
webpage
November 6: submissions due
November 13: winners announced
This program is brought to you through a partnership with:
Thank you to our sponsors
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Humanities Texas
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Barnes & Noble
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Arlington Public Library Foundation
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Reading & Radio Resource