In anticipation of National Reading Month, we’re posting a series of emails that have recently flown between CIS staff. We did this last year and once again, it’s been fun to see what my colleagues are reading. We’ll begin with Artrella’s email that started it all…
A month from now (give or take a few days) Kalamazoo Public Schools will be kicking off its Literacy Month activities at the various schools (National Reading Month is March). I personally think that it is always fun to see the READ posters out at the sites and various KPS buildings when I am out. My curiosity leads me to ask the question…WHAT ARE YOU READING???
I just received my book via Amazon today, which is a part of my Book Club (The Lovely Ladies of Literature). It is 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter. Do share…
-Artrella M. Cohn, Director of Secondary Sites
I’m reading Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink. “In the tradition of the best investigative journalism, physician and reporter Sheri Fink reconstructs five days at the Memorial Medical Center and draws the reader into the lives of those who struggled mightily to survive and to maintain life amid chaos.” Challenging subject material, but excellent writing.
-Deb Faling, Director of Social Emotional Health Initiatives
I just got a box delivered from a friend living in India, and she sent me: Ayoni and Other Stories, a compilation of stories written by various Indian writers “who have focused on women’s issues…and altered the Telugu [Indian ethnic group] literary scene…. These stories deal with the dilemmas and problems faced by women, both on the physical and emotional levels.”
So far, I like how one of the writers captures one of my personal gestures, a blank stare, via writing by the usage of “…”. Tis awesome!!
-Haley A-bel, CIS Site Coordinator, Milwood Magnet Middle School
I’m reading Tenth of December, a collection of short stories by George Saunders and have recently finished A Woman in the Polar Night, by Christiane Ritter, the story of a year spent by a woman in a tiny hut on an island in the arctic circle which makes our recent Polar Vortex look like a walk in the park.
-Donna Carroll, Director of Health Initiatives
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts. A classic introduction to Taoism I have read a few times and it’s always soothing for me.
-Emily Demorest, CIS Site Coordinator, Maple Street Magnet
I am reading Affirming Your Greatness Through The Power of Words by Burnette Clingman and Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath.
-Deborah Yarbrough, CIS Site Coordinator, Kalamazoo Central High School
I’ve just finished gorging myself with Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie: Midwestern Writers on Food, edited by Peggy Wolff. I’m on to the next course, a combination ofTell Me, poems by one of my favorite poets Kim Addonizio and Traveling Sprinkler, a novel by Nicholson Baker, one of the most uninhibited, funny writers I’ve ever read. Take page 96, for instance. I wanted to tell the Quakers about Debussy’s sunken cathedral. I kept formulating an opening in my head. “A little more than a hundred years ago, a composer named Claude Debussy wrote a piece for piano called ‘The Sunken Cathedral.’ He was a man with a big forehead who loved the sea.
-Jennifer Clark, Director of Community Relations
I just finished Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Won’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Just started a novel called The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally.
–Pam Kingery, Executive Director
I am reading Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women, by Melissa Harris Perry and just started the third book in the Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. Yes, #nerdpoints.
-Kaitlin Martin, Volunteer Services Coordinator
I am currently reading one of this year’s “Reading Together” books: The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan. I also just finished reading a book called Blood and Beauty by Sarah Dunant. It is a historical fiction on the Borgia family in Italy.
-Emily Kobza, Director of Development & Business Engagement
I am listening to Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin and just finished listening to MansfieldPark by Jane Austen. I just finished reading the first two books in the Divergent Seriesby Veronica Roth and am impatiently waiting for my daughters to finish the third. At one point during reading the first book there were 3 book marks in it. I love it when we all read the same book- The Newsome Girls Book Club! It’s really great when we get my mom to join in, too!!
Next in line are Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland and Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmakerby Jennifer Chiaverni, both historical fiction.
-Debra Newsome, Finance Coordinator
Wild Things by Dave Eggers!! Check him out if you haven’t; he’s fantastic.
-Jen DeWaele, CIS Site Coordinator, Woodward School for Technology and Research
America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins. I highly recommend!
-Abby Nappier, Director of Volunteer Services
I’m reading A Dance with Dragons, the 5th book in the Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. They’re amazing – you guys should just stop reading your current books and switch to these. 🙂
-Donielle Hetrick, CIS Site Coordinator, Woods Lake
Currently reading Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind by Jocelyn Glei. Great book for learning how to work smarter and find creativity even when you have no time or energy for it.
P.S. I love seeing what everyone is reading.
-Korrine Wojcik, CIS Site Coordinator, Milwood Elementary
P.P.S. We hope you also loved reading what we are reading. We’d love to hear what you are reading. Let us know! We may just publish what are readers are reading in the near future.
Tags: 32 Candles, A Dance with Dragons, A Woman in the Polar Night, Abby Nappier, Affirming Your Greatness Through The Power of Words, Alan Watts, America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, and Black Women, and Heroines, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind, Artrella Cohn, Ayoni and Other Stories, Bea McGarvey, Blood and Beauty, Burnette Clingman, Christiane Ritter, Chuck Schwan, CIS, Clara and Mr. Tiffany, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo, Countering The Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys Vol. II, Dave Eggers, Deb Faling, Deborah Yarbrough, Debra Newsome, Divergent Series, Donielle Hetrick, Donna Carroll, Drudges, Emily Demorest, Emily Kobza, Ernessa T. Carter, Find Your Focus, Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie: Midwestern Writers on Food, Gail Collins, Game of Thrones series, George R.R. Martin, George Saunders, Haley A-bel, Helpmates, Inevitable Mass Customized Learning, Investing in Kids, Jane Austen, Jen DeWaele, Jennifer Chiaverni, Jennifer Clark, Jocelyn Glei, Juwanza Kunjufu, Kaitlin Martin, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kim Addonizio, Korrine Wojcik, literacy, Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Mansfield Park, Mark Helprin, Melissa Harris Perry, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, National Reading Month, Nicholson Baker, Pam Kingery, Peggy Wolff, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Won’t Stop Talking, reading, Sarah Dunant, Sheri Fink, Sister Citizen: Shame, Site Coordinators, Stereotypes, Strengths Finder 2.0, Susan Cain, Susan Vreeland, Tell Me, Tenth of December, The American Way of Eating, The Daughters of Mars, The Wisdom of Insecurity, Thomas Keneally, Timothy Bartik, Tom Rath, Tracie McMillan, Traveling Sprinkler, Veronica Roth, Wild Things, Winter’s Tale
