We set our schedule months in advance, yet sometimes the timing of a book and current events coincide. When this happens, we have the gift of time and space to discuss and explore topics that are especially timely, with others who have diverse perspectives and experiences. Such was the case in May.
In The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America essayists explore the many facets of race and identity, the evolution of US immigration law, persistent biases and stereotypes, and much more.
A big thank-you to all the participants for bringing thoughtful questions and discussion points, as well as open minds and empathetic hearts.
As is usual for our discussions, a number of books, films, and articles came up for further exploration. These included:
Other writings by Teju Cole, whose essay "On the Blackness of the Panther" emerged as a group favorite.
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, a novel previously read by the group. (Obioma provides some background on the writing of this novel in his essay.
Saeed Jones' essay, referenced by Jade Chang in her essay, "Portrait of the Artist As Ungrateful Black Writer."
The newly-released book, One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle Over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yang.
The controversy around the novel American Dirt. (This is one of many articles.)
Yasmeen Serhan's essay "When Is an Immigrant an 'Expat'?" (published in The Atlantic).
The Good Immigrant co-editor Chimene Suleyman's NPR interview about the collection.
PEN America's new report, Arresting Dissent: Legislative Restrictions on the Right to Protest.
The NPR show Code Switch's list of films, books, and resources to promote understanding about issues of race and empower anti-racism .
Please save the date for our June 28 discussion of The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books: Christopher Columbus, His Son, and the Quest to Build the World's Greatest Library by Edwin Wilson-Lee.
Rest assured, the tragedies of European exploration and colonization will be on the table for discussion.
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