{"id":12,"date":"2026-06-18T17:37:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.web.umflint.edu\/commonread\/common-read\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:43:35","slug":"common-read","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Read"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover fb-cover-text-box wp-duotone-black-and-white\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;min-height:100%;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/themes\/flintblock\/assets\/images\/sidewalk-art.jpg\" style=\"object-position:50% 95%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 95%\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-90 has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient has-blue-gradient-gradient-background\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-15d3db16 wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-brand-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-xx-large-font-size wp-elements-1007810746f171e8f5a04d4e564eb5a8\">Common Read<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-0e47273b wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><nav class=\"is-responsive is-vertical is-style-sidebar is-style-sidebar--1 wp-block-navigation is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-bd946717 wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Sidebar Navigation\" \n\t\t data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-context='{\"overlayOpenedBy\":{\"click\":false,\"hover\":false,\"focus\":false},\"type\":\"overlay\",\"roleAttribute\":\"\",\"ariaLabel\":\"Menu\"}'><button aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Open menu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-open\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.openMenuOnClick\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\"\n\t\t\t><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 7.5h16v1.5H4z\"><\/path><path d=\"M4 15h16v1.5H4z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container\"  id=\"modal-2\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--has-modal-open=\"state.isMenuOpen\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--is-menu-open=\"state.isMenuOpen\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\"\n\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"-1\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-close\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-dialog\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-modal=\"state.ariaModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.ariaLabel\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--role=\"state.roleAttribute\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button aria-label=\"Close menu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-close\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.closeMenuOnClick\"\n\t\t\t><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"m13.06 12 6.47-6.47-1.06-1.06L12 10.94 5.53 4.47 4.47 5.53 10.94 12l-6.47 6.47 1.06 1.06L12 13.06l6.47 6.47 1.06-1.06L13.06 12Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-navigation__responsive-container-content\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-watch=\"callbacks.focusFirstElement\"\n\t\t\t id=\"modal-2-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-navigation__container is-responsive is-vertical is-style-sidebar is-style-sidebar--1 wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Home<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/about\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">About<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/author\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Author<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/events\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Events<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/resources\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Resources<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/59-2\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Previous<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-0e47273b wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"289\" height=\"435\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Unraveled-Maxine-Bedat-Book.png\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment&quot; by Maxine B\u00e9dat, featuring a torn denim background.\" class=\"wp-image-36\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Unraveled-Maxine-Bedat-Book.png 289w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Unraveled-Maxine-Bedat-Book-199x300.png 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 289px) 100vw, 289px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-x-large-font-size\">The Life and Death of a Garment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a look at your favorite pair of jeans. Maybe you bought them on Amazon or the mall; maybe the tag says \u201cMade in Bangladesh\u201d or \u201cMade in Sri Lanka.\u201d But do you know where they really came from, how many thousands of miles they crossed, or the number of hands who picked, spun, wove, dyed, packaged, shipped, and sold them to get to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In&nbsp;<em>Unraveled<\/em>, author Maxine B\u00e9dat follows the life of an American icon\u2013a pair of jeans\u2013to reveal what really happens to give us our clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fashion industry operates with radical opacity, and it\u2019s only getting worse, to disguise countless environmental and labor abuses. It epitomizes the ravages inherent in the global economy, and all in the name of ensuring that we keep buying&nbsp;<em>more<\/em>&nbsp;while thinking less about its real cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Travel with B\u00e9dat in each chapter as she meets the people who work in the industry, from cotton farmers in Texas, to textile workers in Sri Lanka, to Amazon warehouse employees, to reveal the global process of what it takes to get those jeans to us and what happens to our clothes when we donate or discard them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Unraveled<\/em>&nbsp;challenges us to use our relationship with our jeans\u2013and all that we wear\u2013to reclaim our central role as citizens to refashion a society in which all people can thrive and preserve the planet for generations to come.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Life and Death of a Garment Take a look at your favorite pair of jeans. Maybe you bought them on Amazon or the mall; maybe the tag says \u201cMade in Bangladesh\u201d or \u201cMade in Sri Lanka.\u201d But do you know where they really came from, how many thousands of miles they crossed, or the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":428,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12\/revisions\/428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}