The Complete Persepolis - 2009 Campus Read

The 2009 Campus Read selection is The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

A Time magazine review said, "... Persepolis provides a unique glimpse into a nearly unknown and unreachable way of life ... That Satrapi chose to tell her remarkable story as a gorgeous comic book makes it totally unique and indispensable."

Marjane Satrapi was born in Rasht, Iran, in 1969. In Persepolis, she shares her story of growing up during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. The Persepolis series was first published in France, beginning in 2000, and is now available as the one-volume work that we will read.

In 2004, Satrapi received the Alex Award and the Booklist "Top Ten Graphic Novels" designation for Persepolis.

Satrapi also co-wrote and co-directed the animated feature film version of Persepolis. The film was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Animated Feature Film" at the 2008 Academy Awards.

Campus Read Committee Meeting - March 10, 2009

The Campus Read Committee will meet from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, in the Flickertail Room, Student Union Building.

Deadline for 2009 Campus Read Suggestions - March 6, 2009

In the fall of 2009, BSC is hosting Dr. Indu Anand, a Fulbright Scholar from India whose field of study is art history with a specialty in Islamic Art. Having Dr. Anand on campus gives us a unique opportunity to read a book from South Asia/Middle East/Near East with an authority right on campus.

The Campus Read Committee is still gathering suggestions for the 2009 Campus Read. The deadline is Friday, March 6, 2009.

The basic rules are few:

1. The book must be in print and in a paperback edition to ensure that it is available and affordable.
2. The book should be reasonably short…about 200-350 pages.
3. The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.
4. The book, as any other Campus Read book, should explore any of the universal themes of literature such as coming of age, abuse of power, triumph over adversity, the importance of the individual, conflicts with self, others, and nature, etc.

There has been some misunderstanding on campus that we will be studying and promoting Islam in our Campus Read. We hope the information above clears up that misunderstanding. The Fulbright Program out of Washington, D.C. has named its project Direct Access to the Muslim World, but this is not the theme of the Campus Read nor is the study of Islam as a religion the purpose of Dr. Anand's visit. Rather, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to take advantage of an international perspective of our world.

Several books have already been suggested for the 2009 Campus Read, some fiction and some non-fiction. Most are available at the BSC Library (if so, the call number is noted); the others are on order.

2009 Campus Read Suggestions (so far) -- We want to hear from you, too!

• The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (PN 6747 .S245 P4713 2007; DVD at Media PN 1997.2 .P47 2008)
• In the Name of God by Paula Jolin (On order)
• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (DJ 292 .H57 A3 2007)
• Kabul: a Novel by M. E. Hirsh (On order)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (PS 3608 .O832 K58 2005; DVD at Media PN 1995.9 .S87 K584 2008)
• Now They Call Me Infidel by Nonie Darwish (On order)
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (PE 64 .N34 A3 2003)
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (PS 3558 .A42169 R45 2007)
• The Sewing Circles of Herat: a Personal Journey through Afghanistan by Christina Lamb (On order)
• Slumdog Millionaire (Original title: Q & A) by Vikas Swarup (On order
• The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra ; translated by John Cullen (On order)
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (PS 3608 .O832 T46 2007)
• Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace -- One School at a Time / by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (LC 2330 .M67 2007)
• The White Tiger: a Novel by Aravind Adiga (On order)