Omaha Reads
The artwork depicted above, an oil painting on a wooden panel, was produced by Oria Simonini, opens a new window, a local painter, muralist, advocate, and community organizer.
Omaha Reads is a yearly event that celebrates the power of literature by bringing the community together to read and explore the themes of one book. The book is selected through a public vote and promoted through book talks, author visits, and related programs. Book nominations are accepted on a continual basis and may be submitted here, opens a new window.
Omaha Reads 2024
"The War Begins in Paris, opens a new window" by Theodore Wheeler
When World War II makes landfall in the City of Lights, Mielle falls under Jane’s spell, growing ever more intoxicated by her glamour, self-possession, and reckless confidence. But as this recklessness devolves into militarism and an utter lack of humanity, Mielle is seized by a series of visions that show her an inescapable truth: Jane Anderson must die, and Mielle must be the one to kill her.
View book in catalog, opens a new window
About the author: Theodore Wheeler is a writer, bookseller, and college professor from Omaha. In addition to "The War Begins in Paris," Wheeler authored the novels "In Our Other Lives, opens a new window" and "Kings of Broken Things, opens a new window," and the collection of short fiction "Bad Faith, opens a new window."
His writing has been featured in The Southern Review, The Kenyon Review, Boulevard, Narrative, LitHub and many more journals. He has won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Nebraska Arts Council, and Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Germany. He has received residencies and support from institutions including the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, AWP Intro Journals Award and Nebraska Book Awards.
For the second year, OPL added a component to Omaha Reads, incorporating original artwork by a local artist. Oria Simonini is a painter, muralist, advocate, and community organizer who created an oil painting on wood paneling evoking the complicated interplay of the two main characters on different sides of the war, and in the striking eyes, Mielle’s visions and others’ perspectives.
Born in French Guiana to Argentine parents, Simonini's early years were spent sailing and living in Central America. The family finally settled in Guatemala, in an area surrounded by jungle and rivers. She later migrated to the United States with her mother and siblings, living in Nebraska since her teenage years, although never cutting ties with Guatemala. In 2022 she was awarded a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation via The Populus Fund for a community based mural project completed both in Schuyler, Ne, and in Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. In 2023 she was a fellow at the Union for Contemporary Art. She currently serves as the Advocacy Chair on the Board of Benson First Friday Omaha.
Tiny Art Opportunity for Patrons
Adults are invited to celebrate Omaha Reads with a unique tiny art project inspired by “The War Begins in Paris.” At any OPL branch, pick up a free art kit (while supplies last) to create your own 4x4 piece reflecting the book’s themes.
Submit your artwork back to a branch by Sept. 15 to be featured in a traveling exhibit displayed around the city at various Omaha Reads events. Artwork will be returned to the artists in early November.
