{"id":52,"date":"2026-06-23T15:25:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.web.umflint.edu\/commonread\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:33:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:33:04","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"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 loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-53\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art.jpg\" style=\"object-position:50% 95%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 95%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><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-0c733ddf09cb153629eba1ed627c8fd5\">The Common Read Program<\/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);padding-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<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-x-large-font-size\">About<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Common Read program brings University of Michigan-Flint students, faculty, staff, and community members together through the shared experience of reading and discussing a book each academic year. The book and the events surrounding it emphasize the importance of reading to higher education, make possible conversations and relationships based on the shared reading experience, and integrate the campus into national and global culture and discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Common Read Program is faculty-led, in collaboration with academic and student affairs. The committee is in charge of selecting a book that inspires intellectual curiosity and contributes to the university as a community of ideas, inquiry, and discussion. Faculty are encouraged to assign the book in their courses and to guide discussion of the text. The committee also develops programming around the book\u2019s themes, often inviting the author to campus for major presentations and other discussions. This programming invites engagement with community members as speakers who share their perspectives and as event participants, enriching the overall program by broadening discussions and offering diverse viewpoints that connect the book\u2019s themes to local experiences and global contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Faculty, staff, students, and community members read and discuss the chosen book and attend program events. This inclusive approach extends the intellectual and cultural benefits of the program, fostering a shared experience that enriches the university and can resonate with the wider Flint community. Through accessible events and discussions, the Common Read program aims to promote a culture of reading and shared learning for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About The Common Read program brings University of Michigan-Flint students, faculty, staff, and community members together through the shared experience of reading and discussing a book each academic year. The book and the events surrounding it emphasize the importance of reading to higher education, make possible conversations and relationships based on the shared reading experience, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","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\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}