'Fahrenheit 451'

As part of the Big Read, everybody in Pomona is supposed to be reading Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." Have you started it? Have you read it before? Did you toss it in a fire? I hope not, because it's a book about book-burning!

Bradbury himself is due to appear Friday at 6 p.m. at the Western University of Health Sciences Health Center, 710 E. 2nd St., along with his biographer, Sam Weller. A certain columnist is supposed to participate as well, unless someone in charge comes to their senses.

Here's a list of all the "451"-related events in October and November: book talks, film screenings, fire safety demonstrations, storytime for the kids, even a genealogy lesson and a virtual tour of the Pomona of the 1950s, when the novel was written.

The Pomona Public Library, the recipient of the NEA grant that's allowing all these programs to take place, has some great Bradbury material on display, courtesy of fan Bruce Emerton, including many of his books, such as an entire case devoted to paperback editions of "Fahrenheit 451," and several posters from the 1966 film version by Francois Truffaut.