The NEA is launching ‘The Big Read, its plan to ‘revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture.’ Set to launch early next year, its pilot effort will fund book projects in six cities. Chairman Dana Gioia said it will be ‘the biggest federally run literature program in American history,’ a stunning comment from an administration that has pledged to shrink government. Shades of the Federal Writers Project! The inspiration behind ‘The Big Read’ is community-wide efforts in cities from Seattle to Pittsburgh that use novels to encourage public discussions on social issues.”