2018 Summer Reading Program Selection Announced

The Meredith College Summer Reading Program selection for 2018 is Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, by Dave Isay.

Part of the StoryCorps project, Callings shares stories of individuals pursuing a “calling” in life. This calling may be a particular career, a hobby, or an inspired approach to one’s vocation. Examples range from the conventional (teacher, public defender) to the quirky (bridge tender, casual astronomer), and a number of the contributors have overcome great challenges to reach their goals. These storytellers all convey a sincerity and openness to possibility that can encourage our students to contemplate a productive and fulfilling future that reaches beyond the paycheck.

“We hope Callings will prompt students and community members to think about and record the stories of their own lives and those of people close to them, where they’ve been, where they’re going, and the paths that have led them there,” said Chrissie Bumgardner, co-director of First Year Experience, who co-chairs the Summer Reading Program committee with Professor of English Rebecca Duncan.

The Summer Reading Program committee plans to facilitate opportunities for students to conduct interviews and create podcasts or digital recordings of these conversations, which will be combined into a video collage.

Meredith’s Summer Reading Program enhances the academic climate on campus by engaging incoming first-year students in a shared intellectual endeavor with the entire campus community, including students, faculty, staff, and alumnae.