Dozens of events throughout Santa Clara County encourage reading, discussion of one book

An on-stage "Conversation with Mas" -- author David Mas Masumoto -- will kick off the third annual Silicon Valley Reads program on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Montgomery Theatre in downtown San Jose.

The interview will be conducted by Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy. It is the first of more than 30 public events in February that offer the community opportunities to discuss Matsumoto’s book, "Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm," the 2005 Silicon Valley Reads selection.

The Feb. 1 event is co-sponsored by Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley, History San Jose, and the Japanese-American Chamber of Commerce. Admission is $5, with students and seniors free. Information is available at 800-847-7730 or at www.commonwealthclub.org/sv.

Many Silicon Valley Reads events in February will focus on how the themes of "Epitaph for a Peach" relate to the agricultural heritage of Santa Clara Valley. For example, seniors are invited to share memories during "Reflections on a Rural Past" at the Cypress Senior Center on Feb. 23. Long-time residents will "Remember the Past in Willow Glen: When Peaches and Apricots Were King" at the Willow Glen Library on Feb. 12 and local historians will talk about "Santa Clara Valley’s Agricultural Past and the Passing of Its Family Farms" at the Santa Clara City Central Park Library on Feb. 9.

A complete list of Silicon Valley Reads 2005 events is listed on the website: wwwsiliconvalleyreads.org

Silicon Valley Reads is presented by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library and the San Jose Public Library Foundation. The goals of the program are to promote reading and literacy while building community through an open dialogue that leads to a valuable exchange of perspectives, life experiences and understanding among widely-diverse readers. It is partially funded by a grant from Adobe Systems, Inc. Other sponsors include the Santa Clara County Reading Council, the Mercury News, NBC11, KLIV, KRTY, Berliner Cohen, and Hotel Montgomery.

For more information, visit www.siliconvalleyreads.org or call Diane McNutt at (408) 354-1242.

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