Athens, Georgia
Raleigh, North Carolina
Macon, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Lake Worth, Florida
Pioneer Book Month Wesleyan Women are Well-Read.
Pioneer Book Month is a collaborative alumnae event that reconnects alumnae to life on campus and to one another through the common reading experience of Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones – the novel all incoming first-year students read and discussed during their first-year seminar classes (WISe). The new initiative was introduced in October with alumnae in eight cities opening their homes for conversation, refreshments, and a lively book discussion. Ten events were held in Georgia (Athens, Atlanta, Macon, and Warner Robins) as well as in Alexandria, VA, Raleigh, NC, and Lake Worth, FL. WISe 101 is an interdisciplinary seminar that introduces first-year students to academic life at Wesleyan.The class focuses on honing students’ academic skills, especially writing and critical thinking while modeling Wesleyan’s
diverse and challenging academic community. Ultimately, the class is an opportunity for students to understand the value of a Wesleyan education and begin the journey of discovering their talents and passions. According to Dr. Matthew Martin, Knox Professor of Humanities and Director of WISe, we chose Silver Sparrow because we wanted a novel that “students would relate to…Tayari Jones writes the stories of two sisters trying to figure out who they are, what they belong to, and what they care about – all of which are important issues for first-year students.” Thank you to all the alumnae who participated in the inaugural Pioneer Book Month. We look forward to reading with you again next fall!
Thanks to Pioneer Book Month Hostesses. Lake Worth, FL: Regina Bland ’76; Athens, GA: Ashley Garrett ’90; Atlanta, GA: Jaime F. McQuilkin ’06 and Sherrie Randall ’03; Sally Moffett McKenna ’75; Leigh Lambert Goff ’78 and Felton Carter Little ’79; Warner Robins, GA: Nikki Collins MacMillan ’94; Macon, GA: Ruth A. Knox ’75 and Millie Parrish Hudson ’75; Professor of English Dr. Matt Martin, Lauren Hamblin ’06 and Cathy Coxey Snow ’71; Raleigh, NC: Karen Garr ’69 and Linda Brown Walker ’73; and Alexandria, VA: Ashling Thurmond Osborne ’05.