Our April “Chew on This” features Eleanor Stanford, adjunct professor in Creative Writing. Stanford will read from her book of
poetry, Bartram’s Garden.
This event will take place on April 27, 2016 from 12:30-2:00 PM in the Drexel Library CMC Room, 2nd Floor.
Please bring your lunch and join us for what we hope to be an engaging presentation! Cookies and drinks will be available.
February 2016
A monthly offering from Drexel Library’s staff about the books we’ve read.
The New Jim Crow
Alexander, Michelle
Published in 2010, this book is about an issue that is not new to many people. As someone who missed this title when it came out, I highly recommend it.
Ms. Alexander, a civil rights lawyer and legal scholar, leads readers through the details of mass incarceration in America. She argues that mass incarceration is a new form of systemic oppression that directly grew to take the place of Jim Crow laws. The common misperception is that “guilty” prisoners serve their time in jail and are released. In reality laws against ex-felons discriminate against and disenfranchise them for the rest of their lives. Most people know that our laws are applied discriminatorily against minority groups, especially African Americans, but they may not connect the dots to systemic racism and instead chalk it up to “bad apples” or specific municipalities. This book will convince you otherwise. Thoroughly researched, it could and has been used as a textbook for college classes. As the author brings in stories of real people damaged by our criminal justice system, it remains a riveting read even though it is also a dense and disturbing one.
Reforms that are currently in demand, such as more monitoring of police activity and reducing sentences for most drug crimes, do not obviate Ms. Alexander’s underlying argument. It is even more important to understand the system while we are thinking about these issues. Focusing only on one or two aspects of the system she presents will not be enough to save our American people or our collective soul.
The New Jim Crow is part of the Library’s collection and is
available on the second floor. Make sure to check the availability online. It may already be checked out.
WHAT: Robert Repino ’00 will read from his book, Morte. From the publisher: The “war with no name” has begun, with human extinction as its goal. The instigator of this war is the Colony, a race of intelligent ants who, for thousands of years, have been silently building an army that would forever eradicate the destructive, oppressive humans.
WHEN: April 21st 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
WHERE: PLC, Wachterhauser Seminar Room
WHO: All are invited. Hope to see you there!
Bring your lunch. Cookies and drinks will be provided.
WHO: Concha Alborg, Professor Emerita from SJU Modern Languages Department, will read from her latest work, Divorce after Death. A Widow’s Memoir. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation.
WHEN: April 15th, 12:30 PM
WHERE: Post Learning Commons, Wachterhauser Seminar Room
WHO: All are invited. Please plan to join us for this engaging talk!
Light refreshments will be served.
WHO: April Lindner, Professor of English, will read from her recently-published book, Love, Lucy. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation.
WHERE: Post Learning Commons, 2nd Floor Lounge
WHEN: February 24th 11:15 am
WHO: All are invited! Hope to see you there!
WHA
T: Coffee Hour sponsored by the Post Learning Commons and the Office of the President
Fr. Gillespie will share his insights into the recently-published book, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, by Austen Ivereigh. This is also an opportunity to come together to socialize in an informal setting.
WHEN: Friday, February 20th
WHEN: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
WHO: All are invited. Hope to see you there!
Emily Moscato, Assistant Professor in Food Marketing, will discuss her article “Transformative Photography: Evaluation and Best Practices for Eliciting Social and Policy Changes”, from the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 19th NOON
WHERE: Wachterhauser Seminar Room, 2nd Floor Post Learning Commons
Bring your lunch — we’ll provide cookies and drinks. Hope to see you there!
More books to add to your holiday wishlist! The New York Times published their list of the 100 Notable Books of 2008 in early December, including these top 10 books, both fictional and non-fictional gems. Everyone is bound to find something that appeals to their tastes.
Happy Holidays everyone! Enjoy the winter break, and we’ll see you in the new year!
SF.
Every year, to help ring in the holiday season and to encourage reading for fun, the staff of the Drexel Library provides personal recommendations for books they read, enjoyed, and would like to recommend to others in a little newsletter cleverly called Season’s Readings. If you’re looking for a little holiday reading, perhaps something light to wind down from a busy semester, or something to stimulate other areas of your interest that just didn’t get enough attention this year, check out the list and see what might be the perfect thing to help you welcome the holidays and the New Year.