On behalf of the Department of Literature and the Writing Studies Program, we welcome you to American University. To set the stage for your first year here at AU, we have chosen a book that we call our “community text” for you to read before you arrive in August.
The dialogue we develop around the challenging themes that define our community texts unifies our students and faculty in an intellectual experience. When we ask tough questions, explore controversy, listen to one another respectfully, and sharpen our claims, we illustrate how writing is a social act at the heart of an academic community. Welcoming our text’s author to campus to discuss their work is an essential part of that shared intellectual experience.
We’re delighted to announce this year’s choice: Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Strangers in their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

Additional information will be posted soon!