Clint Smith, author of “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America,” will give a keynote speech from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Nov. 1, at Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall as a part of the University of Wisconsin’s Go Big Read program.
The keynote event will be a dialogue between Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Smith. Students can expect to hear and learn about Smith’s research and writing process, reflections on the content and themes in the book, and future explorations, Go Big Read Program Lead Sheila Stoeckel said.
The Go Big Read program is in its fourteenth year, originally birthed by Chancellor Carolyn Martin, whose goal was to set a foundation for an academic reading experience shared across the UW faculty, students and affiliates.
This year, the Go Big Read Program is working hand in hand with the launch of the Public History Project’s “Sifting & Reckoning: UW–Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance.” As part of the project, visitors can learn about UW’s first students of color and view previously unseen media from UW history. Together, the programs make an effort to bring into light UW’s discriminatory past.
“The synergy between Clint Smith’s global view of themes in his book pairs nicely with our local examination for our campus via the Public History Project,” Stoeckel said. “We have found a book [that is] an excellent way to anchor a complex discussion on issues that often carry much emotion.”
Unlike many other universities that have a common read for freshmen only, Go Big Read aims to engage the full campus and community in a vigorous discussion that deepens the learning of students each year, Stoeckel said.
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“The vision was for us to pick books on contemporary issues and themes that there aren’t easy answers for,” Stoeckel said.
Rather than finding answers, the campus’ research status aids in understanding the issue and works to deepen student learning, Stoeckel said.
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Beyond the program magnitudes, discussions of Smith’s book have made their way into course curriculums, campus programming and club conversations, Stoeckel said.
Smith, who was honored with the Dayton Literary Peace Prize last week, has just announced that his book of poetry, Above Ground, will be released in March 2023.
