About the Common Book Program
Henderson State University inaugurated its Common Book program in fall 2006 with Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. This program offers everyone on campus the opportunity to read and discuss the same book over the course of the semester. The Common Book is intended to serve as a focal point for engaging the Henderson community in formal and informal conversations about issues of importance in today's world.
Each year, the selected title for the Common Book will meet the following criteria:
- It must be readable, relevant, and engaging for students.
- It should be capable of being used in several areas of the curriculum.
- Preference will be given to books by living authors willing to speak on campus, although other speakers may be brought instead.
- Books commonly used in high school curricula will not be adopted as the Common Book.
Each year, the book will be discussed in Henderson Seminar. Incoming freshmen will be given a copy of that year's selected title during Heart Start and subsequent summer and fall registrations. A series of events related to the selected book, open to everyone, will occur through the first half of the semester.
We invite and encourage everyone to read the books and to attend this year's events!