Blog Post
Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2013: Book Finalists
by hillary dorwart
Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads is a community initiative to promote reading and civic dialogue through the shared experience of reading and discussing a common book.
The theme for the 2013 AA/Ypsi Reads is "Understanding Race." A screening committee has narrowed book choices covering this theme down to three titles: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander; The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; and Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work For Social Justice, 3rd revised and expanded edition by Paul Kivel.
A selection committee of community leaders and educators in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area will meet in late October to choose one of three books as the focus for this year.
You may add your comments about the books through the AA/Ypsi Reads website. Each book's web page has an "add a new comment" section. The selection committee will check the blogs periodically for comments. Locate copies of the books through the AADL catalog!
Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Social Justice
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Uprooting Racism: How White People Can work for Social Justice, 3rd revised and expanded edition, by Paul Kivel.
Uprooting Racism explores the manifestations of racism in politics, work, community, and family life. It moves beyond the definition and unlearning of racism to address the many areas of privilege for white people and suggests ways for individuals and groups to challenge the structures of racism. Uprooting Racism’s welcoming style helps readers look at how we learn racism, what effects it has on our lives, its costs and benefits to white people, and what we can do about it. In addition to updating existing chapters, the new edition of Uprooting Racism explores how entrenched racism has been revealed in the new economy, the 2000 electoral debacle, rising anti-Arab prejudice, and health care policy. Special features include exercises, questions, and suggestions to engage, challenge assumptions, and motivate the reader towards social action. What did you think of this book? Tell us! |
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. What did you think of this book? Tell us! |
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
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The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander.
Praised by Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier as "brave and bold," this book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signals a new era of colorblindness. With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control--relegating millions to a permanent second-class status -- even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. In the words of Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, this book is a "call to action." What did you think of this book? Tell us! |
Blog Post
Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event: Dr. Rick Solomon Discusses Autism: The Brain-Mind Connection
by hillary dorwart
Tuesday January 31, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 focuses on the book "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet. Find out more about autism in this informative lecture by developmental and behavioral pediatrician Rick Solomon MD.
Dr. Solomon will present the most recent scientific evidence related to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). He will cover the brain science and genetics of ASDs; demonstrate the diagnostic criteria with video examples; discuss possible causes for the large increase in prevalence, including the controversial relationship between ASD and immunizations/mercury; and overview the evidence for behavioral, developmental, educational and dietary/alternative interventions.
Blog Post
10th Annual Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event
by hillary dorwart
Thursday January 19, 2012: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm -- Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building - 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 (Doors open at 6pm).
Focusing on the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet, this extraordinary evening will feature nationally-known Autism Consultant Dr. Julie Donnelly and (via Skype) Dr. Darold Treffert, one of the world's leading experts on Autistic Savant Syndrome.
Dr. Darold Treffert will discuss Extraordinary Savant Syndrome highlighting recent developments in research on this remarkable condition. He will also discuss and show videos from his interactions with Daniel Tammet (the author of "Born On A Blue Day") and Kim Peek (the original Rain Man).
Dr. Julie A. Donnelly will focus on A Mother's Story: The Account Of Jean-Paul Bovee, her child who was born with classic autism in a time when the advice of medical professionals was to put the child in an institution.
Doors will open at 6 pm to offer the opportunity to connect with community agencies and representatives who will be staffing information tables in the lobby. Copies of the book will also be for sale.
This is a key event for the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program, which this year focuses on the theme of "Language: How We Communicate." Read more about the event here.
Blog Post
Comic Artists Forum With Rob Stenzinger via Skype
by K.C.
Sunday, January 8 | 1:00-3:00 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room – Downtown Library
Guest artist Rob Stenzinger will show you how to publish your serial comic one page at a time, keep your readers interested, and have it all link together as one big story. In this interactive workshop via Skype, Rob will share comic storytelling techniques, the importance of the dramatic reveal, and why comics are the perfect home for your serial story. We'll even work as a group to chain together a few short comic strips into a serialized comic! Rob is the creator of Art Geek Zoo: The Way of Sound, a music fantasy adventure online, collected in print, and available as an eBook.
Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in to draw, learn, share, and network with other cartoonists.
Blog Post
Televised Book Discussion for AA/Ypsi Reads
by hillary dorwart
If you couldn't tune in at the Community Television Network (CTN-Channel 17) last night to watch a broadcast of a book discussion for this year's AA/Ypsi Reads selection, "Born on a Blue Day," then check out other viewing times to catch the show. Or find and view it online.
The book discussion group includes Alyson Lobert from the Ypsilanti District Library, Ira Lax from our very own AADL, Judy Nagle, a writer and retired humanities teacher and Molly Mahony from UM Tanner Philosophy Library. The group discusses "Born on a Blue Day" as an important selection for this year's community read. They talk about the wide-appeal of the book and the insights learned about the autistic-mind. They don't give too much away about the book so you can still enjoy viewing the discussion even if you haven't finished the book yet!
Reading Guide Questions
The following Reading Group Discussion Guide for "Born on a Blue Day" can be found at the back of your book for easy access.
1. How does Daniel Tammet’s experience of numbers and language differ from that of most people? What explains his intense attraction to prime numbers? How does Daniel characterize his relationships with numbers, and how does it compare to his relationships with people?
2. How are Daniel’s savant syndrome and his epilepsy connected? Why might epilepsy allow some regions of Daniel’s brain to perform with remarkable efficiency? Of Daniel’s many remarkable abilities as a savant, which did you find most fascinating or extraordinary, and why?
3. “Predictability was important to me, a way of feeling in control in a given situation, a way of keeping feelings of anxiety at bay, at least temporarily.” To what extent is Daniel’s need for regularity and predictability a kind of compulsion? Why might similar behavior in someone without savant syndrome be perceived as neurosis? How does the unexpected affect Daniel?
4. How can Daniel’s professional success be understood in light of his having grown up in a large family that required a great deal of him socially, despite his autism? What roles might his family’s uncertain finances and his father’s illness have played in Daniel’s development? How would you characterize Daniel’s connection to his family as an adult?
5. Why was Daniel unable to reveal the fact of his homosexuality to his parents prior to his time volunteering in Lithuania? How did his experiences living abroad affect Daniel’s sense of self? To what extent were you surprised at Daniel’s ability to adapt to life in another country?
6. How would you describe Daniel’s relationship with his partner, Neil? In light of Daniel’s unique neurological concerns, why was their decision to move in together especially complicated? How do they accommodate Daniel’s autistic spectrum disorder in their day-to-day life as a couple? Given that Daniel has difficulty feeling and identifying emotions, why do you think he is able to experience romantic love?
7. “The relationship I have with language is quite an aesthetic one, with certain words and combinations of words being particularly beautiful and stimulating to me.” How does Daniel use his knowledge of different languages to help him understand and learn new languages? What does Daniel’s invention of a language of his own, Manti, reveal about his desire to communicate his appreciation of language to the world?
8. How does Daniel describe his experience of the number pi? Why are scientists particularly interested in his ability to see numbers as landscapes with color and texture? How did Daniel’s memorization and recitation of thousands of digits of pi affect him and how did it enhance his visibility in the world of savant study?
9. Why might Daniel have felt a special kinship with Kim Peek, the person whose life as a savant inspired the film Rain Man? How does Daniel’s experience of autism differ from Kim’s, and what neurological abilities do they share? Why do you think Daniel describes meeting Kim Peek as “one of the happiest moments” of his life?
10. What impact did Daniel’s conversion to Christianity in 2002 have on his life? What role does his religious belief play in his engagement and interaction with others? To what extent are you surprised that someone with Daniel’s gifts and abilities is able to put his faith in God?
Born on a Blue Day Reading Guide Questions
Reading Guide Questions: In the back of the book, you will find questions already written out for readers. The page is titled “Reading Group Discussion Guide for Born on a Blue Day.”