The Collegiate chapter of #ProjectLit is up and running! Our first lunch/recess book club meetings around the graphic novels El Deafo by Cece Bell and New Kid by Jerry Craft were a success, with lively discussions from both students and faculty. A main topic of discussion was around the theme of IDENTITY, specifically how to remain true to yourself even when it would be easier to conform to what is expected of you from peers, friends, family, and teachers. We’ve all spent time in what Cece Bell calls “the bubble of loneliness,” even when those around us are trying to do the right thing. It’s hard to exist in two different worlds, as both Cece and Jordan experience.
Many of us could empathize with both Jordan and Cece, as we’ve all been the “new kid” or felt different from everyone else. We discussed ways in which subtle, seemingly harmless actions or comments (also known as microaggressions) can be hurtful, express prejudices, and reinforce stereotypes. Some of us noted that reading these books made us realize how we have unintentionally said or done something that would be considered a microaggression.
As a warm-up to our discussion, everyone wrote down a question or thought related to El Deafo or New Kid and the discussion flowed from there. A list of thoughts and questions can be found here.
Our next book club will meet on Wednesday, December 4th, at lunch/recess, and we will be discussing: Blended by Sharon Draper, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya, and Front Desk by Kelly Yang. You DO NOT have to have read all three books to join the discussion! We hope to see you then.
Find out more about ProjectLIT by checking out RGL’s ProjectLit page.