It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. And it will be at about the same time on Sunday when the nearby Pomona and Claremont libraries, just 5 miles apart, each hold a Bradbury-themed event — a conflict that went undiscovered til the Pomona group recently asked the neighbors to help publicize their fundraiser.

Pomona’s event, built around a showing of The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit and a panel discussion by cast members, has been covered by File 770 in a series of posts.

The Friends of the Claremont Public Library will be showing the film version of Fahrenheit 451, the Bradbury novel selected for their annual community read, On the Same Page.

Daily Bulletin writer David Allen, an avid Bradbury fan, interviewed the organizers :

Sponsors of both events regret the timing. Neither knew the other was working on a Bradbury event until long after the dates were set.

The Pomona group was preparing to place an advertisement in the Claremont Courier when they contacted Lanore Pearlman, president of the Friends of the Claremont Public Library, who noticed the event conflicted her group’s.

“They sent it to me asking me to promote it. I looked at it and said, I can’t really do that,” Pearlman said.

Pomona backed off from placing the advertisement and seeking a Claremont audience, Library Foundation president John Clifford said.

“Unfortunate,” Clifford said of the timing. “We didn’t plan it.”

Allen will be in Claremont, introducing Fahrenheit 451 and moderating the discussion afterwards.