Discussion Leader: Mary Katherine Newsome
This anthology is a collection of diverse LGBTQ+ historical fiction short stories that explore queer youth across cultures, time periods, and identities. You’ll read some genre-bending retellings of fairy tales and folk figures, fall in love with characters as they fall in love on the page, and rediscover the buried truth of history–that the queer community has been a part of it all along! We’ll talk about our favorite stories among the collection, explore the power of representation, learn about the real history behind the fiction, and discuss the importance of intersectionality.
I am the CARE Team Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office. I work with students who are in need of support and help connect them with resources on campus tailored to their specific circumstances. As a queer professional and licensed clinical mental health counselor, I am passionate about diverse representation in fiction, and seeing both ourselves and learning about others on the page. I hope you’ll join me!
Come explore Ben Franklin’s amazing story of how he organized Philadelphia’s diverse and fractious communities for the betterment of all. His autobiography, which helped invent the genre, offers a how-to guide for self-improvement, political maneuvering, and project leadership. It’s also hilarious and heart-warming. He wrote this as a guide for his son William; his encouraging advice is perfect for you at this key moment in your lives! 
Beartown
“Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” is the central question when it comes to actualizing one’s creative potential, says 
New to the South? So is Max, a German teenager with supernatural powers who moves to Alabama and quickly falls in love. Eager to assimilate he joins the football team, learns how to shoot a gun, questions his faith, and works hard to suppress feelings for his friend, Pan, an outsider that is far from the football type. Max is intrigued by the new customs and rituals of his new home, but he’s unsure how much of his past and present he can reveal to his new friends in the South. This book is about learning how to be comfortable in your own skin, how we often work so hard to hide who we are, and how to find a community that accepts us just as we are. 
This documentary film offers a compelling testament to the power of young adults’ experience of community to shape the course of their lives and build a new culture for an entire country. In many respects, the cohabitation experiences of the individuals who came together for summer camps in the Catskills during the 1970s–individuals living independently, away from their families for the first time–is similar to a university living experience (though perhaps without quite so much social distancing as we are currently experiencing). The campers featured in the film go on to form the core of the fight for disability rights in the United States. Where will the relationships that you build and that will form you during your years at Wake Forest take you?
In her thought-provoking book, social commentator Barbara Ehrenreich examines the human impulse toward communal celebration as expressed in rites of ecstatic dancing, feasting, and costuming. Her book ranges widely through human history and global culture, touching on the ancient Greek worship of the god Dionysus, the medieval European traditions of carnival, the preservation of communal rituals in the African diaspora as a form of resistance to colonialism, and the behavior of crowds at contemporary events such as rock festivals, social protests, and athletic competitions. And perhaps most interestingly, Ehrenreich reflects on the complicated tensions between the demands and requirements of social order—indeed, in our circumstances, we might add, of social distancing—and the human individual’s urge to experience collective joy.
Tara Westover’s bestselling memoir is a profound reminder of the ways we carry our communities of origin with us, even as we embark on new educational endeavors. Growing up in an inwardly-focused, survivalist family with rare religious convictions, Westover was taught to fear any education that came from the outside world. This memoir offers themes of what it means to choose formal education when it is not a given, how to listen to our inner voice when it defies our community, and what our identities can offer the communities of learning with which we engage.
Eloquent Rage
In this award-winning essay collection, Leslie Jamison combines investigative journalism with a memoir to probe the functions and limits of empathy. The essays examine topics ranging from the ethics of medical diagnosis to the motivations of ultra-marathoners to Jamison’s own violent encounters in drug-war-ravaged Mexico. Jamison questions whether empathy can 
Frances Burney published 
On the eve of your arrival to campus, summer is hot – literally! Health disparity, gender oppression and violence, socio-economic upheaval, 
This John W. Campbell Award-winning book, by one of the greatest science fiction writers, explores what happens when a community no longer recognizes your identity. A famous singer wakes up to discover that his identity is completely erased. What happens next?
What does it mean to be human? How does our engagement with various forms of community shape our identity and character? How might empathy enable us to build relationships with those who seem radically different from us? These questions are at the heart of Mary Shelley’s 
Good Economics for Hard Times is a down-to-earth diagnosis of current topics in policy debates. The authors, MIT professors Ester Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, are Nobel prize-winning economists whose research uses randomized control trials to understand the intricacies of poverty. In an opportunistic manner, the book attempts to defend the economics profession and explore crucial issues facing humanity: climate change, inequality, trade and migration by “emphasizing there are no iron laws of economics keeping us from building a more humane world.” Among the most important topics of the book is the methodological deconstruction of so-called “fake facts” and their impact on the rise of xenophobia and public policy. 
These words were spoken by the Black female mathematician, Katherine Johnson, to her boss at NASA in the 1950s. The confidence and mathematical prowess expressed in this statement absolutely thrill me as they run entirely counter to many of the messages we’ve internalized about mathematicians. In her powerful book 
The author intended to just write a modern-day love story, Romeo and Juliet in Seattle, Washington during WWII after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But the novel accidentally touches on the topic of identity and community. They were born in the same hospital in Seattle. But the young man’s father made him wear a button “I am Chinese.” Even the author’s own last name contains an unexplained mystery: why did his great-grandfather change his Chinese name to William Ford?
Humankind transcends global boundaries, race, gender identity, age, religion, and other classifications that can sometimes divide us. We are all members of this inclusive community, and author and entrepreneur Brad Aronson shares stories in his book “HumanKind” about how our words and actions can uplift the lives of fellow humans. We will discuss ways that our individual identities contribute to the richness of humankind, and we will explore opportunities to be agents of human kindness. In the words of Malala Yousafzai, education activist and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 
At first glance, this charming and endearing foodie novel may not seem like an obvious choice for incoming college students exploring identity and their place in community. However, underneath the cinematic descriptions of the smells, sounds, and sights of French and Indian cooking lies the story of how a young, self-taught cook from India develops his identity among the top chef community of French cuisine. I’m really looking forward to a lively discussion about how our values, cultures, and individual desires can both challenge and support identity development within a new community.
Welcome to Wake Forest, and “may the odds be ever in your favor.” Kidding. While your time in college will inevitably have its challenges, and your incoming class faces unprecedented collective circumstances, there is every reason to believe that it will be more comfortable, edifying, and uplifting than 
This summer’s protests across the United States, the mass slaughter of the Rohingya in Myanmar, the burning of Gujarat, the imprisonment and forced “re-education” of the Uyghurs, all these conflicts have the same core. They are battles of identity.
Harriet Jacobs is a woman who was enslaved in Edenton, North Carolina, less than four hours from Wake Forest’s campus. After years of being sexually harassed and physically abused by her owner, she managed to escape, finding her way to freedom—but only after spending seven years hiding in an attic in a space so small, she wasn’t able to stand up. Eventually, Jacobs managed to write what is widely seen as the most important slave narrative ever written by a woman. And while, of course, her autobiography is useful for learning about slavery in the cutting and painful, unforgettable ways that a deeply personal first-person narrative can help us learn, it is ultimately Jacobs’ own story or a way of intentionally situating her identity. And yet: this story is not titled 
Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimkes’ daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Inspired in part by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in search for something better. This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at one of the most devastating wounds in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.
In 
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As a British-born Sri Lankan of mixed Sinhalese/Malayali origin, I’ve spent much of my life thinking about the role of identity, the importance of identity for shaping our sense of self and our obligations, and the challenges of defining oneself solely in terms of specific group memberships. Appiah was an intellectual hero of mine when I was in college, and he provides a wonderful and personal account of how we should think about identity, why it’s important, and how we can both accept the importance of the social identities that shape who we are, and work together with others for the common good. I had the opportunity to both read this book and see Appiah speak about it at WFU last year, and I think his cosmopolitan perspective (which I’m very sympathetic to) has a lot to offer us. 
Little Fires Everywhere starts at the end: with a destructive fire that tears through a comfortable Suburban home leaving material (and psychological) loss of safety in its wake. But the real story picks up in the year prior to the fire, where issues of race, identity, and privilege are woven into the lives of the teenage children of the Warren and Richardson families as the author explores through multiple perspectives a key question of what defines us and makes us who we are. The intersection of identity and community, both at the familial and at the broader societal level, are key themes in this novel.
In this work of fiction, published in 1958, Selvon uses an amalgamation of Caribbean dialects to share narratives of West Indians of color settling in London during the mid-20th century. As recently as 2018, members of this group, now known as the Windrush generation, have had their British citizenship and identity questioned, reigniting feelings of alienation. While college life for most will not easily compare to the harrowing experiences of the book’s characters, new Deacs can be inspired by the strength and resilience of the Lonely Londoners, as they too navigate identity and community in their new home.
cn: suicide
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Colson Whitehead dramatizes the brutal history of a reform school in Florida. As Martin Luther King Jr. preaches his ethic of nonviolence during the Civil Rights Movement, Elwood Curtis, a studious high school senior with college aspirations, passionately affirms the reverend’s call for peace, justice, and forgiveness. When Curtis is sentenced to a juvenile reform school, his optimism clashes with the reform school’s mission to create “honorable and honest men” through a rigorous “moral training.” Curtis navigates the brutal horrors of this school as he fights to embody King’s ethic, “throw us in jail and we will still love you.” Curtis befriends a fellow student named Jack Turner who shows Curtis how his naïve moral optimism may only lead to death. As America fights against police brutality and racial injustice, it is both timely and necessary to wrestle with the tension between the hopeful optimism of future racial justice and the lived experience of past and present racial terror.
Lauren Olamina is a 15-year-old living in a gated community while the structures of society in the USA are crumbling. After a disaster, she must leave the confines of the community. In her journey through a chaotic landscape, she centers herself on strategic relationships, personal empowerment and learning. She recruits followers and draws them toward a new place and new vision of society. Along the way she writes a new scripture, calling it Earthseed. How do we learn and work when we are terrified and exhausted? A successful approach to that question requires both an investment in ourselves and those around us. Parable of the Sower is a strikingly relevant book to the realities of today. Through Lauren Olemina and the beautiful and sharply intelligent writing of Octavia Butler, Parable will give us an excellent space to discuss survival through stressful times and radical change. Content warning: Rape and violence.
After his friend commits suicide, smart misfit Charlie is trying to learn to “participate” in life. He befriends a group of interesting older kids who introduce him to partying but also respect his sensitivity. In letters that Charlie writes to an anonymous stranger, he talks about his family, his friends, and his complicated, often overwhelming, feelings about growing up. Eventually, his longtime crush tells him that he “can’t just sit there and put everybody’s life ahead of yours and think that counts as love,” and he slowly learns to be present in his life.
Creating community for 
In this TED talk we will join Rebeca Hwang in her journey to self-discovery. She was born in Korea, then migrated to Argentina, and, finally, came to study at MIT in the USA. She discovers the many layers to diversity within us, and challenges us to look at ourselves in a multi-dimensional way.
This is a Lambda Literary finalist book, written by a former Mormon missionary who transitioned to female. The book details visits by the author to places across the middle of the United States – “bible belt” country. The book is a series of seven glimpses into community, identity, belonging, and difference. Each chapter details new experiences with establishing community, finding identity, and making a home where you are. The author is a well-known writer, with an earned Ph.D. from Emory University. 
Shoe Dog is a coming of age story about a young entrepreneur who founded a company that lives in the lives and imaginations of countless athletes, coaches, employees, consumers, and more. This beautifully written account by the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, begins with his search to find himself after graduating from college and his determination, doubt, successes, and failures along the way. Throughout the book, Knight reflects on the role of community in a start-up by factoring his family, founding team, employees, and others into his journey. We will consider questions about how entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders make sense of their journeys and critically consider the mark that they and their initiatives leave upon the world. 
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Winner of the National Book Award, 
The Sun Also Rises
Though many people may not like to admit it, being judgemental appears to be a human characteristic. We do it all the time, whether at parties, at school, or just walking down the street. And if you think you’re good at getting a read on people, you’re wrong. In his latest bestseller,
The Toni Morrison Book Club
Did you read “The Fault in our Stars” or “Paper Towns” in high school? Are you a John Green fan? Like all Green’s books, his latest work “Turtles All The Way Down” uses wit and compassion to cast light on serious topics, in this case, the multiple anxiety disorders of our protagonist, Aza, the death of her father, and how these issues all influence how she ultimately defines and finds happiness. That would be enough for most authors, but Green also addresses issues of class, privilege, community, friendship, and character in this book without being preachy or sugar-coating these issues. It’s just an honest and captivating read. 
Netflix released 
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores issues of identity and community among members of a Puerto Rican family. It also offers a timely reexamination of community in its depiction of an online community of recovered drug addicts. How does joining a new community provides an opportunity to adopt and explore a new identity? What aspects of identity might characters carry with them as they join new communities? What ties and obligations do individuals have to family and to other communities they belong to by birth or choice?
This is the second Project Wake that I used this text. With the themes of identity and community at the core of our discussion, this year — being identified as a helper is at the forefront. In the time of COVID-19 – our front line medical personnel and professionals have risen to the task of helping those who have medical ailments and illnesses. We recognize the sacrifice that medical professionals and their families must endure to pursue their calling (identity) and help be the professional healers of their respective communities. The text also looks at medical ethics, mortality, and choice. I look forward to meeting you and discussing the text and what it means to be a helper. 
After a decade of energetic devotion to the Civil Rights Movement and during a time of social upheaval, in 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. reflected both on the struggles that lay in the past and those that lay in the future. In what would become his last book, Dr. King raises crucial questions about who we are, what we owe to one another, and how we can contribute to creating a more just society. Recent world events–such as Black Lives Matter protests and the spread of COVID-19–make it clear that such questions are as pressing as they were when King addressed them. Simultaneously, entering into the Wake Forest community should spur us to think as well about ourselves and those around us, both in the university and beyond. I am excited to think about such questions with you and to consider how King might lead us to think about them differently.
Stereotypes pervade our society. But they aren’t just “out in the world”–they can get into the mind and under the skin to affect thoughts, relationships, well-being, and achievement. 
This timely book will challenge you to think hard about the role that white people play in our modern racist society. What responsibility does each and every white person have to fight for an anti-racist society? In what ways does our purported color-blindness protect and preserve the racist system that we all exist in and which benefits all white people every day? What can we do to make ourselves open to the perspectives and experiences of people of color? In what way are we “fragile” and how can we fight that to be more open and vulnerable and able to experience our impact on the world?
In 1665 the village of Eyam in England had an outbreak of The Bubonic Plague. They chose, as a community, to self-isolate while the disease ran its course. The villagers agreed they would not leave and neighboring villages brought supplies to them and left them outside the gates. Year of Wonders is a novel based on these events. It’s a beautiful imagining of what happened as they reached that decision and lived through the illness as a community. A short read and not overly heavy, the novel raises such important questions about issues we are still currently living within our society today. I hope you’ll join me!