At the end of Fall Quarter 2020, PWR colleagues were invited to participate in a book exchange to celebrate the end of a very challenging year. Participants could gift the books anonymously, or could reveal their identity -- their choice. Below, some of the participants share the titles of the books they received and some of their experiences and reflections on the exchange. At the end of this article, find out what books your colleagues selected for the official PWR Book Gifting over winter break.
Donna Hunter
Well, Ruth was my "secret Santa," so of course she went far and above what was asked. She gave three books, including The Happiness Hypothesis and Hood Feminism and a cloth mask! And, Sangeeta sent me a book in response to receiving books from me. Yowza!
It was very fun both to send and receive. Sending forced me to look through book reviews and think about what Sangeeta might want to read. Receiving meant I got even more books to read than I have time, but it motivates me to read even just a snippet.
Not sure if it will be as impactful post-pandemic, but it might be just because it's a way to think more deeply about my colleagues/friends.
Emily Polk
I received Miracle Country by Kendra Atleework and The Overstory by Richard Powers
I was so excited when I opened the box and saw these books from Shanley. I felt like it was my birthday! They were exactly the kind of books I love to read and I felt so moved that she would know that and spend time picking them out and sending them to me. At a time when the smallest gestures of kindness feel like the most magical and necessary gifts, I can't express my gratitude to her enough for sending these to me.
YES - let's keep the tradition going!!!!! I think it builds community, it gives us an opportunity to do something nice for somebody, and it helps us to connect around the words and stories that sustain us--not just during a pandemic but also through our lives!
Lisa Ramee
Jericho Brown, The Tradition and Coleman Barks' A Year with Rumi
I thought it was delightful. I knew I wanted to read more poetry this year but didn't know where to start and it was so great that a poet ended up with my name. As a sender it was a bit scary because you never know what someone is going to like and you don't want to send someone a book they'll never read.
Totally should do it post pandemic. I envision wrapped books turning up randomly in people's office/cubicle. How fun!
As a relative newbie to the team, this was a really fun and lovely way to express care for others.
Norah Fahim
The Lido by Libby Page
I very much enjoyed it! What with not much going on over Winter break, it's always uplifting to receive a surprise package in the post! It was also nice to form a connection over break with two of my PWR colleagues. If books and discussions are involved, I'm all for it! My (then) secret senders also included something for my kiddo, which was very sweet of them.
It would be a nice PWR tradition to keep.
Sangeeta Mediratta
I got 4 books: Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and Ross Gay's The Book of Delights from dearest Donna and Nam Le's The Boat and Carmen Maria Machado's Her Body and Other Parties from dearest Kevin M.
I was overwhelmed by the love and kindness, and perspicacity, shown by my wonderful colleagues. They seemed to know exactly what I would like and simultaneously introduced me to wonderful writers I had not read before. I felt their kindness and affection as I read the books over the December break!
I think it brings people together in such a wonderful way.
Sarah Pittock
I was spoiled! I received three: Abigail Thomas's A Three Dog Life, Joy Harjo's An American Sunrise, and Eavan Boland's The Historians.
It was a delight to receive such carefully selected titles. I especially appreciated the poetry. Though tied to two very different places and peoples, the poems were in conversation with each other as they narrated counterstories and evoked forgotten historians.
It was easy to pick a book to send. I remembered quickly the most engaging and formally inventive novel I read last summer--Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other--and surmised that its recipient, who's published on modernist novels, would appreciate its politics, ambition, and style.
Shanley Jacobs
I was very fortunate to receive Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado and The Boat by Nam Le from Kevin Moore and I also received Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens from Shannon Hervey.
Receiving these books was such a delight ahead of the winter break! I often stare at my list of books to read feeling overwhelmed and the book exchange freed that up so I could just dig in and enjoy the reading. I also loved picking out books as a sender and receiving the notes from the recipients when they received them. Overall, the book exchange was a bright spot this year and set me up with great stories to enjoy at the start of a new year
I love the idea of this being an annual exchange or every other year? I still think the exchange would be meaningful in non-pandemic life. It is always fun to have a surprise delivery of books, in my humble opinion.
It made me feel a part of the PWR community during a challenging time.
Shannon Hervey
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga & The Shape of Ideas by Grant Snider
As we all know, it has been sometimes difficult to feel connected to community throughout the last year, so this activity was a fun way to feel part of the PWR community. I loved thinking about what my colleagues might like to receive, and it felt warm and delightful to receive a book gift in the mail. I've written "PWR Pandemic Book Exchange 2020" along with the names of the colleagues who gave me my books in the front covers. It's a special artifact - a physical thing representing a community of folks in a weird, difficult time putting in effort to connect.
I don't know if it would be as meaningful in a non-pandemic world, but I think a book exchange among book nerds is always a plus! Perhaps it will have a different relevance in the future.
It was such a slice of sweetness.
The Official PWR Winter Break Book Gift: What People Selected
PWR itself decided to join the spirit of the book exchange, and offered participants a selection of books to choose from to encourage people to put their feet up and enjoy a good book over our extended winter break. 44 of our colleagues participated, each selecting a book from a list curated by several PWR lecturers. Here's what they selected:
- The Overstory, Richard Powers - 9 people
- Kindred, Octavia Butler - 6 people
- There, There, Tom Orange - 4 people
- Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi - 4 people
- Next: New Poems, Lucille Clifton - 4 people
- Upstream, Mary Oliver - 3 people
- Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change, Stacey Abrams - 3 people
- American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang - 2 people
- Monstress, Volume 1: The Awakening, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda - 2 people
- The Mindfulness Coloring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy, Emma Farrarons - 2 people
- The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros - 2 people
- Arrowsmith, Sinclair Lewis - 2 people
- The Book Thief, Markos Zusak - 1 person
