GEW 101A: Writing as Critical Inquiry

• If you find a print book you like jot down the call number and floor (4th or 5th) and head to the appropriate library floor.  If you need help locating the book go to the circulation desk on the 3rd floor of the library and ask to speak to a librarian. 
• If you find an online book you like click on the link on the OneSearch Page.  You may need to sign in with yuor CSUSM usernane and password.  If you need help accessing the book click on the chat link and ask a librarian for help.  

Stories as Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Doors

Books can act as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. As mirrors, we see ourselves reflected in some of these stories which affirm and validate our own experiences. These stories offer us windows into the lives of others where we can be immersed in experiences of a different culture, gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality or age. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop argues that stories are not only windows, but sliding glass doors through which we can enter a new world. Stories offer perceptivity that break stereotypes, increase awareness of systemic issues, and encourage respectful interactions with people from different backgrounds. Books offer marginalized communities an opportunity to tell their stories which are often misconstrued and ignored within society. At a time where empathy and compassion are seen as weakness, we need a deeper understanding of people from all backgrounds and how they experience the world in order to build and sustain a community that's inclusive and addresses the inequities marginalized communities currently face. The 25/26 Common Read seeks to encourage a greater understanding of others and bring people together.

Book Selections:

• Bird Songs Don't Lie, Gordon Lee Johnson
• Daytripper, Fabio Moon
• The Remember Balloons, Jessie Oliveros
• Song I Sing, Bao Phi
• The Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas (Library's Student Advisory Board Choice)
• The View from Down Here: Life as a Young Disabled Woman, Lucy Webster