Dear NCTE Affiliate Presidents, Newsletter and Journal Editors, and Web Masters,

NCTE is sponsoring a nationwide reading and discussion of George Orwell's classic novel 1984 this October. Educators and students in high schools, colleges, and universities, and citizens in libraries, communityorganizations, and book discussion groups are invited to read the book and discuss its prophetic nature and what it might teach us about life in the contemporary United States. The "1984+20" project aims to promote awareness, discussion, and debate about the key roles of language in politics and culture.

We encourage you to join NCTE in this historic effort and to use the information below to help spread the word about this project and to include it in your newsletters, journals, and on your Web site.

Best,
Lyndsey Tate
Communications Specialist
The National Council of Teachers of English
E-mail: ltate@ncte.org
Phone: (217) 278-3630 or (800) 369-6283 ext. 3630
Fax: (217) 278-3760

1111 W. Kenyon Rd.
Urbana, IL 61801
www.ncte.org

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is sponsoring a nationwide reading and discussion of George Orwell's classic novel 1984 in October 2004. Educators and students in high schools, colleges, anduniversities, and citizens in libraries, community organizations, and book discussion groups are invited to read the book and discuss its prophetic nature and what it might teach us about life in the contemporary United States. The "1984+20" project aims to promote awareness, discussion, and debate about the key roles of language in politics and culture.

The term "Orwellian" has experienced a recent resurgence as public officials, corporations, media, and interest groups grow bolder in their use of manipulative language as a tool for sculpting public policy. In 1971, NCTE resolved to "find means to study the relation of language to public policy, to keep track of, publicize, and combat semantic distortion by public officials, candidates for office, political commentators, and all those who transmit through the mass media." That intent continues today at a time when the role of the U.S. in the world, terrorism, national security, and access to health care and education are very much in the public consciousness. NCTE believes that infusing vocabulary with Orwellian terms like "doublethink" ("the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them") and "newspeak" (the purpose of which is "not so much to express meanings as to destroy them") will help strengthen critical and analytic conversations everywhere.

Many of Orwell's themes in 1984 resonate in modern times-the role of public relations specialists in engineering language to shape public opinion; the short-lived memory of media and the ability to dispose of historical realities "down the memory hole"; ever-shifting icons of evil as the focus of popular rage-all of which can potentially distract the populace from matters over which they might actually exercise some control.

NCTE anticipates that the "1984+20" project will bring a broad range of individuals into meaningful conversation through classroom and face-to-face discussions, as well as discussions via media such as the Internet, including Weblogs and online forums, and other venues such as student essays and projects, community events, film and video projects, and conferences. Educators, administrators, librarians, students, media, community organizations, nonprofit groups, techies, publishers, writers, artists, activists, bookstores, and others are encouraged to join NCTE in this historic effort. NCTE will provide support in the way of backgroundresources, classroom lessons, and online forums.

For more information and to find out how you can get involved, please visit http://www.ncte.org/about/press/key/116449.htm or contact Lyndsey Tate at 800-369-6283, ext. 3630, or at ltate@ncte.org.