NEA book program gets a makeover, will feature newer works

The NEA announced Wednesday that the Big Read, for which communities throughout the country have been assigned a single work to discuss, will focus on contemporary works of literature and offer a more diverse range of voices and styles.

Starting in the fall of 2017, featured titles will range from Emily St. John Mandel's dystopian novel Station Eleven to Kevin Young's poetry collection Book of Hours to Claudia Rankine's hybrid of poetry and other art forms Citizen:

According to the NEA, more than 4 million people have participated in the Big Read, a partnership between the endowment and local organizations around the country.