South Announces Common Read Selection

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Posted on August 22, 2022

Joy Washington

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The University of South Alabama has chosen “Listening is An Act of Love: A
Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project” as its 2022-2023
Common Read/Common World book selection.

“Listening is an Act of Love will inspire South Alabama students, faculty, staff and
alumni to join in conversations with one another,” said Dr. Krista Harrell, associate
dean of students and co-chair of the Common Read/Common World program. “The
goal is to foster a sense of belonging, building community and encouraging each of
us to share our stories and listen, with love.”

Common Read, the voluntary program for the South Alabama community, aims to
improve understanding of differences and commonalities across the world while
engaging in academic discourse and critical thinking.

“Dave Isay's ‘Listening is an Act of Love’ emphasizes the power of hearing people,
hearing them talk about key moments or events from their lives,” said Dr. Bob
Coleman, assistant dean for the College of Arts and Sciences and co-chair of
Common Read at South Alabama. “Taking the time to listen to someone share
insights about one's experience fosters connections that promote empathy and
greater understanding. Having students, faculty and staff members share this book
and their own stories should promote fruitful dialogues across campus.”

In addition, the goal of the program is to develop a sophisticated understanding of
values and ethics, increase awareness of global issues, gain and understand how to
make an impact and create a sense of community among students, faculty, staff and
the greater Mobile area.

The book, published in 2014, is a collection of the most compelling excerpts from
more than 10,000 interviews that capture a moment in time, which is historical,
emotional and personal.

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