Themes

First Year Experience | Common Read | One Book

These titles explore identity, American culture, and the classic coming of age story—and rally communities around hope, social change, and our shared humanity.

Race

These authors weave threads of personal experience, history, and contemporary criticism, opening us to empathy and the possibility of a more united, empowered future.
Claudia Rankine

Claudia Rankine

Learn More

Tamara Winfrey-Harris

Tamara Winfrey-Harris

Learn More

Brian Broome

Brian Broome

Learn More

Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown

Learn More

Chris Abani

Chris Abani

Learn More

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Learn More

Samiya Bashir

Samiya Bashir

Learn More

Mahogany L. Browne

Mahogany L. Browne

Learn More

Gabriel Bump

Gabriel Bump

Learn More

Tina Chang

Tina Chang

Learn More

Kwame Dawes

Kwame Dawes

Learn More

Bryan Doerries

Bryan Doerries

Learn More

Nathalie Handal

Nathalie Handal

Learn More

Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes

Learn More

Major Jackson

Major Jackson

Learn More

Douglas Kearney

Douglas Kearney

Learn More

Dawn Lundy Martin

Dawn Lundy Martin

Learn More

Rajiv Mohabir

Rajiv Mohabir

Learn More

Deesha Philyaw

Deesha Philyaw

Learn More

Ladan Osman

Ladan Osman

Learn More

Patrick Phillips

Patrick Phillips

Learn More

Sapphire

Sapphire

Learn More

Tim Seibles

Tim Seibles

Learn More

Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas

Learn More

Natasha Trethewey

Natasha Trethewey

Learn More

Crystal Valentine

Crystal Valentine

Learn More

Fiction

The layering of cultures; the complex wonder of the natural world; the riddle of faith; the deep resonance of mythology: what better place for these dimensions to wrestle and converse than in the sphere of fiction? Short stories, the Great American Novel, flash fiction – prose that gets at deep, emotional truth.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Learn More

Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo

Learn More

Deesha Philyaw

Deesha Philyaw

Learn More

Molly Antopol

Molly Antopol

Learn More

Donald Antrim

Donald Antrim

Learn More

Gabriel Bump

Gabriel Bump

Learn More

Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo

Learn More

Bonnie Jo Campbell

Bonnie Jo Campbell

Learn More

Kwame Dawes

Kwame Dawes

Learn More

Natashia Deón

Natashia Deón

Learn More

Andre Dubus III

Andre Dubus III

Learn More

Beth Ann Fennelly

Beth Ann Fennelly

Learn More

Aminatta Forna

Aminatta Forna

Learn More

Carrie Fountain

Carrie Fountain

Learn More

Cristina Garcí­a

Cristina Garcí­a

Learn More

Alex George

Alex George

Learn More

Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg

Learn More

Adam Gopnik

Adam Gopnik

Learn More

Isabella Hammad

Isabella Hammad

Learn More

Pam Houston

Pam Houston

Learn More

Vanessa Hua

Vanessa Hua

Learn More

Rick Moody

Rick Moody

Learn More

Sir Andrew Motion

Sir Andrew Motion

Learn More

Eileen Myles

Eileen Myles

Learn More

Torrey Peters

Torrey Peters

Learn More

Ernesto Quiñonez

Ernesto Quiñonez

Learn More

Vaddey Ratner

Vaddey Ratner

Learn More

Chris Abani

Chris Abani

Learn More

Alberto Ríos

Alberto Ríos

Learn More

Roxana Robinson

Roxana Robinson

Learn More

Osama Alomar

Osama Alomar

Learn More

Sapphire

Sapphire

Learn More

George Saunders

George Saunders

Learn More

Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

Learn More

Shruti Swamy

Shruti Swamy

Learn More

Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas

Learn More

Daniel Torday

Daniel Torday

Learn More

Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Learn More

Lidia Yuknavitch

Lidia Yuknavitch

Learn More

Queer & Trans Voices

Working at the intersections of race, class, and identity, these authors explore the embodied experiences of queer people today.
Chen Chen

Chen Chen

Learn More

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Learn More

Eileen Myles

Eileen Myles

Learn More

Torrey Peters

Torrey Peters

Learn More

Mark Doty

Mark Doty

Learn More

Lidia Yuknavitch

Lidia Yuknavitch

Learn More

Phillip B. Williams

Phillip B. Williams

Learn More

Crystal Valentine

Crystal Valentine

Learn More

Rajiv Mohabir

Rajiv Mohabir

Learn More

Dawn Lundy Martin

Dawn Lundy Martin

Learn More

Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Ann Duffy

Learn More

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Learn More

Stephanie Burt

Stephanie Burt

Learn More

Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown

Learn More

Brian Broome

Brian Broome

Learn More

Julian Talamantez Brolaski

Julian Talamantez Brolaski

Learn More

Richard Blanco

Richard Blanco

Learn More

Frank Bidart

Frank Bidart

Learn More

Ellen Bass

Ellen Bass

Learn More

Samiya Bashir

Samiya Bashir

Learn More

Poetry

Language (in the mouth, on the page) is one way humans can experience and express the world: not only words on a page, but a bodily feeling as one speaks and hears poetry. These are ways language creates meaning, and helps us define ourselves and belong.
Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo

Learn More

Juan Felipe Herrera

Juan Felipe Herrera

Learn More

Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown

Learn More

Mahogany L. Browne

Mahogany L. Browne

Learn More

Carrie Fountain

Carrie Fountain

Learn More

Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali

Learn More

Chris Abani

Chris Abani

Learn More

Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo

Learn More

Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage

Learn More

Peter Balakian

Peter Balakian

Learn More

Coleman Barks

Coleman Barks

Learn More

Samiya Bashir

Samiya Bashir

Learn More

Ellen Bass

Ellen Bass

Learn More

Frank Bidart

Frank Bidart

Learn More

Sherwin Bitsui

Sherwin Bitsui

Learn More

Daniel Borzutzky

Daniel Borzutzky

Learn More

Julian Talamantez Brolaski

Julian Talamantez Brolaski

Learn More

Stephanie Burt

Stephanie Burt

Learn More

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Learn More

Tina Chang

Tina Chang

Learn More

Chen Chen

Chen Chen

Learn More

Geffrey Davis

Geffrey Davis

Learn More

Kwame Dawes

Kwame Dawes

Learn More

Mark Doty

Mark Doty

Learn More

Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Ann Duffy

Learn More

Camille Dungy

Camille Dungy

Learn More

Cornelius Eady

Cornelius Eady

Learn More

Beth Ann Fennelly

Beth Ann Fennelly

Learn More

Carolyn Forché

Carolyn Forché

Learn More

Forrest Gander

Forrest Gander

Learn More

Cristina Garcí­a

Cristina Garcí­a

Learn More

Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg

Learn More

Jorie Graham

Jorie Graham

Learn More

Nathalie Handal

Nathalie Handal

Learn More

Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes

Learn More

Brenda Hillman

Brenda Hillman

Learn More

Marie Howe

Marie Howe

Learn More

Major Jackson

Major Jackson

Learn More

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Learn More

Douglas Kearney

Douglas Kearney

Learn More

Ted Kooser

Ted Kooser

Learn More

Keetje Kuipers

Keetje Kuipers

Learn More

Deborah Landau

Deborah Landau

Learn More

Li-Young Lee

Li-Young Lee

Learn More

Nikola Madzirov

Nikola Madzirov

Learn More

Dawn Lundy Martin

Dawn Lundy Martin

Learn More

Airea D. Matthews

Airea D. Matthews

Learn More

Heather McHugh

Heather McHugh

Learn More

Erika Meitner

Erika Meitner

Learn More

Dunya Mikhail

Dunya Mikhail

Learn More

Rajiv Mohabir

Rajiv Mohabir

Learn More

Honor Moore

Honor Moore

Learn More

Valzhyna Mort

Valzhyna Mort

Learn More

Sir Andrew Motion

Sir Andrew Motion

Learn More

Eileen Myles

Eileen Myles

Learn More

Marilyn Nelson

Marilyn Nelson

Learn More

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Learn More

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Learn More

Meghan O’Rourke

Meghan O’Rourke

Learn More

Ladan Osman

Ladan Osman

Learn More

Alicia Ostriker

Alicia Ostriker

Learn More

Rowan Ricardo Phillips

Rowan Ricardo Phillips

Learn More

Katha Pollitt

Katha Pollitt

Learn More

Maya C. Popa

Maya C. Popa

Learn More

Claudia Rankine

Claudia Rankine

Learn More

Alberto Ríos

Alberto Ríos

Learn More

Robin Robertson

Robin Robertson

Learn More

Sapphire

Sapphire

Learn More

Tim Seibles

Tim Seibles

Learn More

Emily Skillings

Emily Skillings

Learn More

Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith

Learn More

Brian Turner

Brian Turner

Learn More

Crystal Valentine

Crystal Valentine

Learn More

Mai Der Vang

Mai Der Vang

Learn More

Phillip B. Williams

Phillip B. Williams

Learn More

Jenny Xie

Jenny Xie

Learn More