South Announces Common Read Selection
Posted on August 22, 2022
The University of South Alabama has chosen 鈥淟istening is An Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project鈥� as its 2022-2023 Common Read/Common World book selection.
鈥淟istening is an Act of Love will inspire South Alabama students, faculty, staff and alumni to join in conversations with one another,鈥� said Dr. Krista Harrell, associate dean of students and co-chair of the Common Read/Common World program. 鈥淭he goal is to foster a sense of belonging, building community and encouraging each of us to share our stories and listen, with love.鈥�
Common Read, the voluntary program for the South Alabama community, aims to improve understanding of differences and commonalities across the world while engaging in academic discourse and critical thinking.
鈥淒ave Isay's 鈥楲istening is an Act of Love鈥� emphasizes the power of hearing people,
hearing them talk about key moments or events from their lives,鈥� said Dr. Bob Coleman,
assistant dean for the College of Arts and Sciences and co-chair of Common Read at South Alabama. 鈥淭aking the time to listen to someone
share
insights about one's experience fosters connections that promote empathy and greater
understanding. Having students, faculty and staff members share this book and their
own stories should promote fruitful dialogues across campus.鈥�
In addition, the goal of the program is to develop a sophisticated understanding of values and ethics, increase awareness of global issues, gain and understand how to make an impact and create a sense of community among students, faculty, staff and the greater Mobile area.
The book, published in 2014, is a collection of the most compelling excerpts from more than 10,000 interviews that capture a moment in time, which is historical, emotional and personal.
