The fourth annual fundraiser for Kosciusko Literacy Services will be Oct. 20 at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, and again will feature Dr. Elliot Engel.

The presentation will be "The Tortured Genius of Edgar Allan Poe," and the event will be sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Levin and R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.

Engel received his bachelor's degree from Indiana University and his master's and Ph.D. as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at UCLA. He presently is at North Carolina State University and received numerous scholarship and teaching awards. His books have been published by British and American presses, and his articles appeared in several magazines. In addition to lecturing throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, his mini-lecture series on Dickens appeared on PBS television.

In past fundraisers for KLS, Engel presented insights into Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Mark Twain. Engel will recount Poe's life as the most pathetic of literary figures and demonstrate how Poe was able to transform his obsessions, failures and horrific visions into brilliant fiction and poetry, which will be examined in the exposition of Poe's literary scope.

New this year, Engel also will give a program on Poe to the whole student body at Edgewood Middle School, where the literature classes currently are studying Poe.

Proceeds from the event support the two newest KLS programs, ESL Family Literacy and Read to Grow. ESL Family Literacy is in its second year at Jefferson School and teaches English as a second language to students' mothers who speak Spanish. KLS plans to expand the program to other schools in the future.

Read to Grow is a new program designed to provide books to preschoolers who may not have access to books at home. Funds from the dinner will be used to implement the program, which also is supported by United Way and REMC Operation Roundup.

Brenda Rigdon, executive director of KLS, said, "The No. 1 reason children are not ready to learn is because they haven't had access to books at home. Read to Grow initially will provide books to kids in the Early Headstart program and their siblings under age 5." Early Headstart is for 3 year olds, which includes 40 families in the county that are at or below the poverty level.

Rigdon said, "We will provide one book each month, and more importantly, work with the primary caregiver to make sure the books are read to the child. Caregivers will be coached to read with enthusiasm to encourage the child to sit still and listen. They'll learn that it's ok and fun to read and reread the books. By the time the children go to kindergarten, they'll understand the process of reading - simple things like holding the book right-side-up and reading left-to-right - and be ready to 'break the code' and learn how to read. Knowing the basics will put them ahead of the game.

"A side benefit will be identifying adults who are reluctant to read and opening the door for them to get help with reading. Family literacy involves the whole family.."

The evening will start at 6 p.m., with a reception, followed by dinner and the lecture. The cost is $85 per person. Reader sponsorships, which provide tickets to literature teachers and students, also are available. For more information, contact Kosciusko Literacy Services, 574-267-5380. [[In-content Ad]]