President Wyatt’s Summer Book Picks for 2019
Posted: May 23, 2019 | Author: Savannah Byers | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah University’s President Scott L Wyatt creates a community of readers each summer with the President’s Book Club. Everyone is invited to read along this summer, and listen as President Wyatt discusses four books on the “Solutions for Higher Education” podcast with host Steven Meredith, and other various guests from SUU.
“The summer slows down a little bit for those of us in academia,” said Meredith. “We like to take that period to refresh our brains and our thinking just a little bit.”
The months of May, June, July, and August will each feature a different book. At the end of each month, Meredith and Wyatt will discuss the book on the podcast with an English faculty member who is familiar with the book and the author.
May: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Podcast air-date: Tuesday, May 28th
Guest: Kyle Bishop
Synopsis: The Underground Railroad, published in 2016, is the sixth novel by American author Colson Whitehead. The alternate history novel tells the story of Cora and Caesar, two slaves in the southeastern United States during the 19th century, who make a bid for freedom from their Georgia plantations by following the Underground Railroad, which the novel depicts as primarily a rail transport system in addition to a series of safe houses and secret routes. The Underground Railroad was a critical and commercial success, hitting the best seller lists and winning several notable prizes.
June: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Podcast air-date: Monday, June 24th
Guest: Joy Sterrantino
Synopsis: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and is considered among the most powerful and influential works of world literature. It was one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most performed
Note: The Utah Shakespeare Festival will be performing Hamlet beginning June 8th and running through October 12th, 2019.
July: Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (New English Translation by John Minford)
Podcast air-date: Monday, July 22nd
Guest: Bryce Christensen
Synopsis: The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Tao,” is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three major religions of ancient China.
August: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Podcast air-date: Monday, August 26th
Guest: Jean Boreen
Synopsis: Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Catch up with “Solutions for Higher Education” podcast on their website, and tune-in every Monday for new episodes. To learn more about the President’s Book Club, listen to episode 57, “2019 Summer Book Kickoff” available online.
This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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