{"id":59,"date":"2026-06-24T12:29:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.web.umflint.edu\/commonread\/?page_id=59"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:33:16","slug":"59-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/59-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Previous"},"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-83\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1.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-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/sidewalk-art-1-1536x1024.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-602760df14ac554ba021e536c4779905\">Previous Common Read Selections<\/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)\">\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\">More Than a Decade of Shared Reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Common Read program has brought students, faculty and staff together around a single book each year since 2011. Each selection invites campus-wide conversation on important contemporary issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"662\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Between-Two-Kingdoms-A-Memoir-of-A-Life-Interrupted-by-Suleika-Jaouad-.jpeg\" alt=\"Cover of the book &quot;Between Two Kingdoms&quot; by Suleika Jaouad, featuring a yellow van and a person sitting on top near a body of water.\" class=\"wp-image-61 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Between-Two-Kingdoms-A-Memoir-of-A-Life-Interrupted-by-Suleika-Jaouad-.jpeg 662w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Between-Two-Kingdoms-A-Memoir-of-A-Life-Interrupted-by-Suleika-Jaouad--199x300.jpeg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of A Life Interrupted<\/em>&nbsp;by Suleika Jaouad (2023-24)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A memoir of illness, a narrative of the making and remaking of intimacies and relationships, an exploration of how heartbreak and illness produce writing and art, and the tale of a road trip across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22Between%20Two%20Kingdoms%22,AND&amp;query=any,contains,Jaouad,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Between+Two+Kingdoms%3A+A+Memoir+of+A+Life+Interrupted%22&amp;offset=1&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Cbook-braille%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"348\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/81M2SGIT1AL._SY522_.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the graphic memoir &quot;I Was Their American Dream&quot; featuring a group of diverse characters with a person in the foreground wearing star-patterned glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-62 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/81M2SGIT1AL._SY522_.jpg 348w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/81M2SGIT1AL._SY522_-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir<\/em>&nbsp;by Malaka Gharib (2022-23)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The autobiographical story of Gharib\u2019s struggles through childhood, youth, and early adulthood to come to terms with her bi-ethnic identity, as the child of immigrants, a Catholic Filipina mother and Muslim Egyptian father, and life in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22I%20Was%20Their%20American%20Dream:%20A%20Graphic%20Memoir%22&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=date_d&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;facet=frbrgroupid,include,9016960873995388929&amp;lang=en&amp;offset=0\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22I+Was+Their+American+Dream%22&amp;itemType=book&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis&amp;author=Gharib%2C+Malaka\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"647\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Home-Place.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man&apos;s Love Affair with Nature&quot; by J. Drew Lanham, featuring a bird silhouette.\" class=\"wp-image-64 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Home-Place.jpg 647w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Home-Place-194x300.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 647px) 100vw, 647px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man\u2019s Love Affair with Nature<\/em>&nbsp;by J. Drew Lanham (2021-22)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lyrical tribute to the natural world: its beauty, resilience, and diversity. Drawing on the history of his African American family, rooted in the soil and woods of South Carolina, Lanham reflects on the development of selfhood and his intimate connection to and love of place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=any,contains,%22The%20Home%20Place%22%20AND%20Lanham&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22The+Home+Place%3A+Memoirs+of+a+Colored+Man%E2%80%99s+Love+Affair+with+Nature%22&amp;offset=1\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"645\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Tell-Me-How-It-Ends.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions&quot; by Valeria Luiselli.\" class=\"wp-image-67 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Tell-Me-How-It-Ends.jpg 645w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Tell-Me-How-It-Ends-194x300.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions<\/em>&nbsp;by Valeria Luiselli (2020-21)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luiselli, a prominent writer and MacArthur Fellow, drew on her experience as an interpreter for unaccompanied refugee children in New York City immigration courts for her essay. Prompted by the intake questions, Luiselli reflects on the border, family and childhood, community, national identity and belonging, and language itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=any,contains,%22Tell%20Me%20How%20It%20Ends:%20An%20Essay%20in%20Forty%20Questions%22&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;facet=rtype,include,books&amp;lang=en&amp;offset=0\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Tell+Me+How+It+Ends%3A+An+Essay+in+Forty+Questions%22&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"341\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71Fv87ZoqL._SY522_.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;Sing, Unburied, Sing&quot; by Jesmyn Ward, featuring a bright orange background with blue text and a seal indicating a National Book Award win.\" class=\"wp-image-68 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71Fv87ZoqL._SY522_.jpg 341w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71Fv87ZoqL._SY522_-196x300.jpg 196w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Sing, Unburied, Sing<\/em>&nbsp;by Jesmyn Ward (2019-20)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A moving novel focused on a quest for family and love in the dangerously racist and deeply impoverished fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. Ward is a MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22Sing,%20Unburied,%20Sing%22,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Ward,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Sing%2C+Unburied%2C+Sing%22&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital&amp;author=Ward%2C+Jesmyn\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"662\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Sixth-Extinction-An-Unnatural-History-by-Elizabeth-Kolbert.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of &quot;The Sixth Extinction&quot; by Elizabeth Kolbert, featuring a yellow background and a skeleton illustration.\" class=\"wp-image-70 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Sixth-Extinction-An-Unnatural-History-by-Elizabeth-Kolbert.jpg 662w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Sixth-Extinction-An-Unnatural-History-by-Elizabeth-Kolbert-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History<\/em>&nbsp;by Elizabeth Kolbert (2018-19)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kolbert\u2019s Pulitzer Prize-winning book reports on major human-induced challenges facing natural life across the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01UMICH_INST\/1vgmh5i\/alma990128107130106381\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22The+Sixth+Extinction%22+AND+Kolbert&amp;offset=1&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Cbook-braille%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/We-Need-New-Names-by-NoViolet-Bulawayo.jpeg\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;We Need New Names&quot; by NoViolet Bulawayo, featuring a bright yellow background with an airplane graphic.\" class=\"wp-image-71 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/We-Need-New-Names-by-NoViolet-Bulawayo.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/We-Need-New-Names-by-NoViolet-Bulawayo-193x300.jpeg 193w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>We Need New Names<\/em>&nbsp;by NoViolet Bulawayo (2017-18)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A novel of displacement and relocation that speaks to people\u2019s movements across cultural and political borders in the contemporary world, it begins in a Zimbabwean shantytown, is narrated in the remarkable voice of a young girl, Darling, and ends in Detroit and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Edwidge Danticat, novelist, essayist, and our inaugural Common Read author, describes it as \u201can exquisite and powerful first novel, filled with an equal measure of beauty and horror and laughter and pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22We%20Need%20New%20Names%22,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Bulawayo,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22We+Need+New+Names%22+AND+Bulawayo&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Cbook-braille%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"345\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/91sSklCppdL._SY522_.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of &quot;Between the World and Me&quot; by Ta-Nehisi Coates, featuring a gold National Book Award winner seal and a quote from Toni Morrison.\" class=\"wp-image-73 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/91sSklCppdL._SY522_.jpg 345w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/91sSklCppdL._SY522_-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Between the World and Me<\/em>&nbsp;by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2016-17)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written as a letter to his son, Coates explores what it means to be black in America. This National Book Award winner also appeared on many best-of-the-year lists when it was published in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22Between%20the%20World%20and%20Me%22,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Coates,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Between+the+World+and+Me%22+AND+Coates&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-mic%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Cbook-braille%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"672\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-24-at-12.14.20-PM-672x1024.png\" alt=\"Cover of &quot;Dead Man Walking&quot; by Sister Helen Prejean, featuring a shadowy figure in a corridor and text about the book&apos;s themes.\" class=\"wp-image-74 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-24-at-12.14.20-PM-672x1024.png 672w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-24-at-12.14.20-PM-197x300.png 197w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-24-at-12.14.20-PM-768x1171.png 768w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-24-at-12.14.20-PM.png 884w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Dead Man Walking<\/em>&nbsp;by Sister Helen Prejean (2015-16)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Published in 1994, the book is widely heralded as a profound reflection on capital punishment and has also been the basis for a film and an opera. The memoir speaks to issues of capital punishment, the criminal justice system, the humanity of perpetrators, and the claims and needs of direct and indirect victims of brutal crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,Dead%20Man%20Walking,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Helen%20Prejean,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Dead+Man+Walking%22+AND+Prejean&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-mic%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-mss%2Cbook-braille%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-cassette%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:28% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"338\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/713B3zI3UwL._SY522_.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover of &quot;Fire in the Ashes&quot; by Jonathan Kozol, featuring a quote and a black-and-white image of a child.\" class=\"wp-image-76 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/713B3zI3UwL._SY522_.jpg 338w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/713B3zI3UwL._SY522_-194x300.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America<\/em>&nbsp;by Jonathan Kozol (2014-15)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This book revisits the children and families about whom Kozol has written in earlier works. Some of the stories are about defeat and the inability to overcome almost impossible odds. Others are accounts of resilience, determination, and creativity, of children emerging whole and full of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22Fire%20in%20the%20Ashes%22,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Kozol,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Fire+in+the+Ashes%22+AND+Kozol&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:29% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"667\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Submission-by-Amy-Waldman.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the book &quot;The Submission&quot; by Amy Waldman, featuring a cityscape image and text indicating it won the American Book Award.\" class=\"wp-image-77 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Submission-by-Amy-Waldman.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/he-Submission-by-Amy-Waldman-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>The Submission<\/em>&nbsp;by Amy Waldman (2013-14)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set in New York City, this novel is about perspectives and tensions in the wake of 9\/11. It raises broad questions about identity, respect, and belonging; uses of public space and the nature of art; and the behaviors of politicians and the media. It particularly explores Muslim-American identities and experiences after 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22The%20Submission%22,AND&amp;query=creator,contains,Waldman,AND&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=rank&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;mode=advanced&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22The+Submission%22+AND+Amy+Waldman&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:29% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"569\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Immortal-Life-of-Henrietta-Lacks.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of &quot;The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks&quot; by Rebecca Skloot, featuring a woman and a summary of the book&apos;s themes.\" class=\"wp-image-78 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Immortal-Life-of-Henrietta-Lacks.jpg 569w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/The-Immortal-Life-of-Henrietta-Lacks-171x300.jpg 171w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks<\/em>&nbsp;by Rebecca Skloot (2012)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This widely reviewed and praised work of non-fiction focuses on the history of both U.S. medical research and one multi-generational African-American family. Skloot visited UM-Flint as part of the Common Read in the Fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22The%20Immortal%20Life%20of%20Henrietta%20Lacks%22&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;lang=en&amp;offset=0&amp;facet=rtype,include,books,lk\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22The+Immortal+Life+of+Henrietta+Lacks%22&amp;itemType=book%2Caudiobook&amp;itemSubType=book-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-mic%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Caudiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-digital%2Caudiobook-lp\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:29% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"314\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71LNUPHL6ZL._SY522_.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover for &quot;Brother, I&apos;m Dying&quot; by Edwidge Danticat, featuring a quote and a winner badge for National Book Critics Circle Award.\" class=\"wp-image-80 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71LNUPHL6ZL._SY522_.jpg 314w, https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2026\/06\/71LNUPHL6ZL._SY522_-180x300.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 314px) 100vw, 314px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><em>Brother, I\u2019m Dying<\/em>&nbsp;by Edwidge Danticat (2011)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Michigan-Flint inaugurated the Common Read program in Fall 2011 with Edwidge Danticat\u2019s \u201cBrother, I\u2019m Dying,\u201d her 2007 memoir that bridges Haiti and the United States and demonstrates the power of words to recreate worlds of both suffering and love. Ms. Danticat visited the UM-Flint campus on March 13, 2012. During her time at UM-Flint, she participated in a writing seminar with faculty and students and delivered a public presentation on her book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umich.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/discovery\/search?query=title,contains,%22Brother,%20I%27m%20Dying%22&amp;tab=NewEverything&amp;search_scope=FLINT_Everything&amp;sortby=date_d&amp;vid=01UMICH_INST:FLINT&amp;facet=frbrgroupid,include,9074608584764511434&amp;lang=en&amp;offset=0\">Find it at the Thompson Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/search?q=%22Brother%2C+I%E2%80%99m+Dying%22&amp;itemType=audiobook%2Cbook&amp;itemSubType=audiobook-cd%2Caudiobook-cassette%2Caudiobook-digital%2Cbook-printbook%2Cbook-digital%2Cbook-thsis%2Cbook-largeprint%2Cbook-braille\">Find it at another library<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More Than a Decade of Shared Reading The Common Read program has brought students, faculty and staff together around a single book each year since 2011. Each selection invites campus-wide conversation on important contemporary issues. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of A Life Interrupted&nbsp;by Suleika Jaouad (2023-24) A memoir of illness, a narrative of the [&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-59","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/59","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=59"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/59\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":390,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/59\/revisions\/390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/commonread\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}