Reading New Books in the Humanities by Penn State Faculty

Julie Park, Jacqueline Reid-Walsh

Julie Park, Paterno Family Librarian for Literature and Professor of English

Jacqueline Reid-Walsh, Professor of Education (LLED & Women Std)

This reading group invites faculty at all career stages across the university to share their latest monographs in the humanities with colleagues and members of the community. Copies of selected books will be provided to reading group members to read before the meeting. This format allows for a more conversational tone and provides an opportunity to engage with the work more deeply. 

By highlighting the recent work of Penn State faculty, we hope to forge new connections and inspire interdisciplinary collaborations, both by raising awareness of our colleagues’ latest research and providing a space for dialogue that goes beyond conventional book presentations.

Here are the scheduled authors and their books:
Fall 2024 
October 30  
Michelle Sikes – Kenya’s Running Women (Michigan State University Press, 2023)
November 20 
Julie Park – My Dark Room (University of Chicago Press, 2023)
December 11  
Debra Hawhee  – A Sense of Urgency (University of Chicago Press, 2023)
Spring 2025  
January 29
Rosemary Jolly – The Effluent Eye (University of Minnesota Press, 2024)
February 26 
Sam Tenorio – Jump (New York University Press, 2024)
March 25  
Robin Thomas – Palaces of Reason (Penn State University Press, 2023)
Each meeting is from 4-5:30 in 102 Ihlseng Cottage, the Humanities Institute,
The number of participants will be capped at 15, and a limited number of hard copies for most of the books in the program will be available on a first come, first served basis, to be picked up at Ihlseng Cottage before each reading group meeting. All books will be available in electronic format through the library.