In order to answer this question of “why study the classics,” first we must define “the classics.” Wai Chee Dimock, English professor at Yale University, states in her article for The New York Times, “classics are classics because we aren’t done with them yet,” or to put it another way, classics are classics because they …
Category Archives: News
Dr. Cole and Dr. Johnson on the Importance of Stories
By Natalie Glover On Monday, Oct 30, the NEA Big Read Lakeshore had its kickoff event! Hope Professors Dr. Ernest Cole (English) and Dr. Fred Johnson (History) shared their ideas surrounding the importance of stories and how this topic relates to the Big Read Book, “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi. Dr. Johnson’s lecture focused on the …
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Remembering: The First Five Years
Here at the Big Read, we are excited to be getting closer to announcing our book for the 2023 program. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Big Read Lakeshore program, we want to take the time to look back at where we started with the first five books. The Big Read started in …
Banned Books
As a prospective secondary English teacher, my placement teachers and classes have mentioned the recent conversations about banning books in various states. Several states across the United States are considering or crafting legislation to ban books that contain themes related to sexuality, racism, explicit language, or other areas. This article by The Atlantic called “Read …
The Asian American Community is too, America
In light of news reports of increased anti-Asian American violence, our Big Read team can’t help but reflect back on our 2017 Big Read program with Julia Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine and the powerful discussions we had about prejudice and discrimination both in our nation’s past and present. Along with Otsuka’s book and …
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