Members of the UML Community Share What鈥檚 on Their Summer Reading Lists
06/21/2024
By BCCS Staff
Chancellor Julie Chen is digging into short stories this summer.聽
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 sticking with a couple of short story/essay compilations, since I don鈥檛 have a lengthy plane ride planned where I can commit to a longer novel,鈥� she says. At the top of her list is 鈥�Reaching Inside: 50 Acclaimed Authors on 100 Unforgettable Short Stories,鈥� which was edited by English Prof. Andre Dubus lll. In the book, which was published last year, Dubus asked acclaimed authors such as Ann Patchett, Richard Russo and Gish Jen to write about short stories that changed their view of the world.聽Also on tap is 鈥�Northwest of Boston,鈥� a book of short stories by Lowell writer Stephen O鈥機onnor. And if this summer鈥檚 weather isn鈥檛 conducive to spending time outdoors, Chen says she鈥檒l add a good spy or detective novel to her reading list.聽
Rist Family Endowed Dean of the Manning School of Business Bertie Greer will be reading 鈥�Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories, and Secrets from the Trillion-Dollar Fraud Industry鈥� by her friend, Kelly Richmond Pope. 鈥淚 have had the book for a year. It's time to read it!鈥� says Greer, who plans to invite Richmond Pope to campus to share her insights with students. Greer says 鈥�Shoe Dog鈥� by Nike founder Phil Knight also 鈥渏umped into my hands鈥� at the bookstore. 鈥淚 love reading about profitable companies and how they came to be, especially the early evolutions and the many challenges it takes to get a business off the ground.鈥�
Julian Zabalbeascoa, associate director of honors experiential learning opportunities and communication, is spending the summer in Europe leading study abroad programs. While there, he is reading 鈥�Glorious Exploits鈥� by Ferdia Lennon.
鈥淚t is perfectly paced; each sentence is greatly cared for yet appears flawless,鈥� he says.
New Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Sue Kim, is on an Anthony Horowitz mystery novel kick this summer.聽
鈥淗orowitz is really good at invoking classic Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, which are like comfort food for me,鈥� she says.
She鈥檚 also reading Mimi Kh煤c鈥檚 鈥�Dear Elia: Letters from the Asian American Abyss.鈥澛�鈥淜h煤c redefines unwellness in various forms 鈥� not as individual pathology, but as a product of systemic/collective structures and processes 鈥� and tries to imagine ways to do Asian American studies that don鈥檛 perpetuate this,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a powerful book.鈥澛�
Women鈥檚 lacrosse coach Lisa Miller, who led the River Hawks to their first postseason berth in program history this spring, is interested in books that shed light on 鈥渉ow to build, maintain and grow a competitive, healthy culture.鈥� With that in mind, she will be reading 鈥�Talking to Strangers鈥� by Malcolm Gladwell. 鈥淩ecruiting for our sport requires a quick assessment of talent and character. This is an interesting take on the process of getting to know strangers,鈥� says Miller, who also plans to read 鈥�Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can鈥檛 Stop Talking鈥� by Susan Cain. 鈥淪ome of the most insightful comments from players have come from the 鈥榪uiet鈥� ones, who tend to be far more observant and take in the perspective of others,鈥� she says.聽
English Assoc. Prof. Keith Mitchell just reread Mark Twain鈥檚 鈥�The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn鈥� for the first time in decades, inspired by Percival Everett鈥檚 new novel, 鈥�James.鈥� Everett鈥檚 book revises Twain鈥檚 story from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who befriends Huck. Mitchell says that 鈥淛ames鈥� deepened his appreciation for Twain鈥檚 book. 鈥淚 love both of them,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f anything, 鈥楯ames鈥� enhanced my rereading of 鈥楬uck Finn.鈥欌€�Mitchell, who teaches classes in American and African American literature, also plans to read a pair of novels by James McBride, 鈥�The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store鈥� and 鈥�Deacon King Kong.鈥澛犅�
Asst. Director of Club Sports Keith Jasie has 鈥�The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt atop his summer reading list. 鈥淭he rise of anxiety and other mental health issues in America is probably multicausal, and I believe it is important to understand all of these variables to be able to relate to and help students today,鈥� says Jasie, who also plans to read 鈥�The Algebra of Wealth鈥� by Scott Galloway.
Catherine Nkwantah 鈥�24, who received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemical engineering in May and is now pursuing a master鈥檚 degree, is planning to read the New York Times bestseller 鈥�Wellness鈥� by Nathan Hill.鈥淚t is a witty and humorous novel about modern marriage and the ties that keep people together. It reimagines [college sweethearts] Jack and Elizabeth鈥檚 love story with insight and irony. I want to read it because it has received numerous accolades, and I want to see if it lives up to the hype.鈥�
Marley O鈥橬eil, operations manager in the Francis College of Engineering, says she鈥檒l be reading 鈥�The Murder of Roger Ackroyd鈥� by Agatha Christie. Published in 1926, the mystery is set among England鈥檚 high society.聽
鈥淎fter watching a PBS documentary about the life and times of Agatha Christie recently, I realized that I haven't read any of her novels. The stories are supposedly easy, quick reads, which is perfect for summer,鈥� O鈥橬eil says.
Partha Chowdhury, head of the School of Graduate Studies, has a pile of books by his bedside, and "Dune" by Frank Herbert is the one he intends to finish first. 鈥淭his sci-fi novel was recommended to me by a fellow grad student in the mid-70s, but I never read it,鈥� says Chowdhury, who is also a professor in the Department of Physics and Applied Physics. 鈥淎fter watching the recent 鈥楧une: Part Two鈥� movie, I started reading it, and am struck by how prescient the book was about present-day politics and war. And I love how he verbalizes the thoughts of the characters onto the page for the reader.鈥�
"Let the Great World Spin" by Colum McCann is next in Chowdhury鈥檚 book pile. 鈥淚 am a sucker for creative language, and I re-read sentences that wow me,鈥� he says. 鈥淗is metaphors are so original.鈥�
Shaina Roy, the Kennedy College of Sciences director of student success, often spends her evenings reading Magic Tree House and Dragon Girls chapter books with her kids, but this summer, she is making time to read some books gifted to her on Mother鈥檚 Day by her own mom.
鈥淭he Anxious Generation鈥� is also Roy鈥檚 list. 鈥淚t is really eye-opening, the impact that smartphones and social media have had on adolescents since the smartphone was released,鈥� says Roy, who is also an associate teaching professor for the Department of Biological Sciences. 鈥淚t鈥檚 particularly interesting as I navigate when the appropriate time is for my own kids to get phones and what we as parents can do to reduce some of the negative consequences.鈥�She also plans to read 鈥�Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End鈥� by surgeon and bestselling author Atul Gawande. The nonfiction book looks into end-of-life care, hospice and nursing homes. 鈥淚t provides perspective from both the elderly and their adult children that often care for them,鈥� she says.
Chiara Ghezzi, an assistant professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department, is going to read the novel 鈥�Pachinko鈥� by Min Jin Lee. A National Book Award finalist that was made into a series on Apple TV, Pachinko chronicles the saga of four generations of a Korean immigrant family in Japan.Her choice was inspired by a recent work trip to Korea, Ghezzi says: 鈥淚 am interested in learning more about their cultural environment. Suggested by a very good friend of mine, this book seems to be a perfect continuation to dive more into the initial exposure I had during my trip.鈥澛�
Assoc. Prof. of Nursing Mazen El Ghaziri, who is captivated by the works of authors who blend historical insights with biographical and personal stories, plans to read 鈥�The Demon of Unrest鈥� by Erik Larson. He鈥檚 also going to re-read 鈥�The Disoriented鈥� by Amin Maalouf. 鈥淭hese authors provide me with a deeper understanding of history and the individuals who influenced it,鈥� he says.