|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Books of the Year, 2007-08
 | | UAA and Alaska Pacific University are pleased to announce the 2007-08 Books of the Year: The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra Together, these two books provide a nuanced perspective of religious extremism as it plays out--or might play out--in both the Christian and the Muslim worlds. The Handmaid's Tale is a modern classic, detailing a young woman's life in a dystopian society. The Swallows of Kabul is a very human story of two couples living under the strict rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Both are works of fiction. Announcement flyer | Dr. Nelta Edwards (Sociology) and Tara Smith (College Preparatory and Developmental Studies) will serve as Faculty Associates for the Books of the Year in 2007-08, helping to promote the books across campus, leading discussion groups, and assisting faculty in building the Books into their class curricula. They may be reached at: Dr. Edwards: nelta.edwards@uaa.alaska.edu; 786-6454
Ms. Smith: aftyms@uaa.alaska.edu; 786-6873 The Books of the Year readings are part of the ongoing Engaging Controversy initiative at UAA and APU. The theme for the 2007-08 year--politics and religion--was chosen to complement a large-scale community education project called Meeting Islam: Engaging Muslim Beliefs, Cultures, Politics which will be led by APU. Spurred by a generous gift to APU's Cardinal Newman Foundation, this collaborative project involves many organizations, including three Anchorage-based universities (APU, UAA, and Wayland Baptist), the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Loussac Library, the Interfaith Council, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the World Affairs Council, the Anchorage School District, and many others. With the help of the Cardinal Newman Foundation, the project will bring four nationally prominent Islamic scholars to Anchorage during Spring 2008. Further information can be found at http://engagingmuslims.alaskapacific.edu/
| Books of the Year, 2006-07 UAA and Alaska Pacific University named their first joint Books of the Year in 2006-07 as part of an on-going partnership between the two universities to engage our faculty and students in constructive dialogue about sensitive political, religious, racial, and cultural issues. The project, Encountering Controversy, is part of the Ford Foundation's Difficult Dialogues initiative. |
 The Tortilla Curtain
by T. C. Boyle When wealthy nature writer Delaney Mossbacher collides with illegal immigrant Candido Rincon on the Topanga Canyon freeway, the stage is set for a larger collision between the rich and the poor who occupy the same L.A. canyon but find themselves on opposite sides of the tortilla curtain. This gritty novel explores social, political, and economic issues concerning immigration, discrimination, responsibility, and the darker sides of the American Dream. Critics have compared this novel to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Voltaire's Candide, calling it "...profound and tragic," "...funny and serious," "...horrifying and horrific," and "...a thundering good read." Events  | | Author T.C. Boyle joined us in Anchorage for a public reading and book-signing at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on March 27. His performance included the collision scene from the opening chapter of The Tortilla Curtain, and a later pivotal Thanksgiving scene involving a convenience store, a turkey, and a fateful wind. In a question-and-answer session, he declined to make political statements, asking the audience to read the book, think deeply about the issues, and decide for themselves. | During his two-day visit, Boyle also met with University Honors students, mingled with faculty and invited guests at an informal reception, and did a call-in Talk of Alaska radio show on KSKA (sponsored by the Alaska Humanities Forum).
Announcement (Flyer)
An open discussion for faculty, students, and community members was held at the UAA bookstore on March 8 (Flyer) | | |
 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
by Ann Fadiman This powerful book tells the true story of Lia Lee, the infant daughter of Hmong immigrants, who was born with a severe seizure disorder, known in the West as epilepsy and to Lia's parents as qaug dab peg ("the spirit catches you and you fall down"). From the moment Lia arrives in a California emergency room, cultural differences and linguistic miscommunication begin to drive a rift between her loving parents and her well-intentioned doctors. The tragedy that unfolds opens the door to conversations about cultural difference, the modern immigrant experience, and the limits of Western medicine. This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and has served as a Book of the Year or Freshman Experience book at many campuses across the country. Its balanced discussion of the strengths, shortcomings, and best efforts of Western medicine and traditional belief systems allows students and faculty to engage in difficult dialogues about their own beliefs and experiences. Announcement (Flyer) Readers Guide (Discussion Questions) | | Books of the Year 2008-09  | | Books of the Year 2008-09
Welcome to the site for the joint Books of the year for Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska Anchorage. We choose books each year to stimulate discussion of important issues on our campuses and in the community. We hope you will read, enjoy, and discuss these books.
Visit our Website:
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/books-of-the-year
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
