2022 Faculty Summer Reads
With summer coming to a close and the academic year rapidly approaching, we caught up with Stritch faculty members about what they've been reading over the past few months!
Dr. Marna Boyle
All Things Wise and Wonderful and All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
I was inspired to read more of James Herriot since my husband and I so enjoyed the PBS special of "All Creatures Great and Small." I completed two of his books which were "All Things Wise and Wonderful" and "All Things Bright and Beautiful." Each chapter of the books tells the story of the author who was a veterinarian in Yorkshire, England for 50 years. His memoirs of his experiences in a rural practice with all different kinds of animals are heart-warming and filled with the customs and life of the English countryside. So enjoyable!"
Dr. Michelle Gilgannon, '04
Trashlands by Alison Stine
In the not-too-distant future, after the sea levels have risen and world powers finally take plastic reduction seriously, there are groups of “pluckers” who wander “Scrappalachia” (what used to be known as Appalachia; now much closer to the coast) scavenging for plastic. No new plastics are being made anywhere in the world, so the old plastics become currency as they are melted down and turned into…everything: bricks for buildings, mattress stuffing, roads, etc.
I am currently learning about the main protagonist, Coral, and her quest to pay to release her son from a plastic recycling factory. That story is unfolding, but it seems he might have been stolen from Coral when he was very young...small hands work better at sorting plastic in the factory. I can’t wait to see how it ends!
Dr. Corey Thompson, '07
Your Guide to Forest Bathing by M. Amos Clifford
I am reading this in preparation for my first experience with forest bathing. People have asked "Is this something you do in the nude in the forest?" I guess I will let you know come August! I'm obviously being facetious, but I certainly am looking forward to completing the book and the experience as I believe America needs it!
The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
I am reading this because I want to know why school boards and countless others find this so controversial and damaging.
Dr. Mary Duarte
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Recommended to me by my son, this is an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad focusing on the life of Achilles and Patroclus. An LGBTQ friendly version of the Iliad and a good read so far.
Lisa Plichta, '00
Making Teachers Better, not Bitter by Frontier and Mielke
It was written by Tony Frontier, a professor here at Stritch and Paul Mielke, a doctoral graduate and superintendent of a local school district. I am teaching in the Masters in Educational Leadership program and it is one of the main texts for the course.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Because I enjoy cooking.