2021 FWCD Summer Reading: 2021 Universal Book

Click here for more information and resources for the 2021 universal book. 

• Music and Poetry: Smith references various music songs and artists to highlight points of joy and connection in his life. From the music played in his home to the music played at the school picnic, music anchors many of his experiences---as well as our own! In this session, we will explore how music moves and shapes many of our life experiences.
• Memories Reimagined: Many of Smith's poems center around a single memory from childhood. We will explore a few of those poems and then discuss how memories impact us.
• Art as Protest: Smith opens his collection with a quotation from Ralph Ellison: "I recognize no dichotomy between art and protest." We will explore exactly what this collection is protesting, what kind of world Smith advocates for, and how effective poetry is as a means of protest.
• College Essay Inspiration: As Clint Smith shares pivotal moments from his childhood, what memories might it have triggered from your own childhood? Could Smith have turned any of these poems into a full college essay? Which ones? How could he expand them? Let's jot down some of your own childhood memories that could lead to an outstanding college essay.
• Structure: Macro and Micro: We will take a look at how Smith's compilation is put together, as well as the differing structures of several poems within. Students will also get to bring up their favorite poems from the book, and we will read them aloud if time permits.
• Sport is a combination of human grace and technical ability. But how does it help me know who I am? This session will analyze Smith's poems as they connect with Sport and how sport connects to human identity
• The Poetry of Prison: Clint Smith teaches writing and literature in the D.C. Detention Facility. He has written and spoken on prison education. In this session students will read Beyond this Place, The Men in Orange, and From the Cell Block for discussion.
• Writer's Workshop: Modern Poems in the Smith Style
• Sharing Your Truth: In his TED talk entitled The Danger of Silence, Smith calls for students and teachers to speak their truth. Using his talk as inspiration, participants will craft their own (brief) oration not to “[tell] people the things they [want] to hear,” but “instead...the things they [need] to.” Students will cease your silence as you deliver, poetically and deliberately, your own truth. There will be time for writing and sharing.
• Identity Poems Inspired by Clint Smith: (What the ______ said to the black boy.)
• Consider the two poems that had the biggest impact on you from Clint Smith's collection. Be prepared to talk about why they resonated with you.

The mission of the Universal Book Program is to further develop and unite our FWCD learning community through the shared joy of reading in order to stimulate thought and dialogue, increase awareness, and provide the opportunity to explore a story that differs from our own.