The Common Freshman Reader Selection Committee, chaired by Drs. Jamie Martin and Cathy Dugan, has selected the 2009-2010 Common Freshman Reader:
Make the Impossible Possible
by Bill Strickland
This selection was made from 24 books that were submitted for consideration by IUP faculty. The Committee's primary goal was to select a book that would be relevant to today's students, offer interdisciplinary appeal and appeal to a range of diverse students, and provide opportunities for additional programming. As the book was announced, it was also learned that Bill Strickland is IUP's 2009 recipient of the President's Legacy Award for Civic Service.
Resources are being compiled to help faculty prepare:
o Please visit http://www.iup.edu/commonreader/, where you will find a link to the Library's reference page for the book, as well as activities planned for fall semester.
o Ideas for using the book can be shared by entering a comment in this blog. Just click on the title of an entry and type in the entry form at the bottom of the page.
o Files with materials and lesson plans can be shared by creating a new entry in the blog (instructions are given at http://www.iup.edu/itsupportcenter/howto.aspx?id=49965). These files will be added to the resource list on the Common Reader web site.
Reviews and background information are provided below.
"This is a provocative tale of meaning and substance about Bill Strickland's life and endeavors. At its heart, it's a story about greatness -- and the relentless pursuit of making the world a better place. One person. One town. One moment at a time. As we read it, it's humbling -- could we ever dare attempt something as profound as Bill has? His message on this point is quite clear: Within each of us is this greatness to be unleashed." - Keith Yamashita, Chairman, Stone Yamashita Partners
From Publishers Weekly: Community activist and MacArthur fellow Strickland explains the jazz expression tell your story as playing that doesn't just display your virtuosity, but also gives the audience a glimpse of your soul. He succeeds in doing just that. We get the virtuosity: he was an African-American kid from Pittsburgh's inner city who at 19 established what became Manchester-Bidwell, the now famous arts and job-training center for disadvantaged kids and adults. And we get the soul: he was spurred on by a mother who taught him to polish a wood floor until it gleamed no matter what was going on in the streets outside; an art teacher who believed in the aimless boy; a classroom where coffee brewed, jazz played softly, and he had the transformative experience of throwing his first clay pot. It's the American dream with a twist: for Strickland, it was never about shedding his past and getting ahead but about following his bliss and making a difference. Which is not to say the skilled fund-raiser isn't savvy. He touts the value of a Brooks Brothers suit and knowing the right people. Unfortunately, we don't learn how Strickland's philosophy of making the impossible possible applies to his-or our-personal lives. (Dec. 31) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
BILL STRICKLAND is president and CEO of Manchester Craftsmen Guild and Bidwell Training Center. Manchester Craftsmen's Guild today offers programs in ceramics, photography, digital arts and painting to over 500 kids a year, as well as 3,400 additional students in the Pittsburgh inner-city school district. Ninety percent of the students receive high school diplomas of which 85% go on enroll in college or secondary education. Bidwell Training Center trains more than 600 adults each semester for professional careers like the culinary arts, pharmacology, and horticultural technology. Through partnerships with major corporations in the area, Bidwell Training Center has helped 73% of its graduates land meaningful full-time employment. Manchester Bidwell is now a breathtaking facility that includes a 350-seat jazz auditorium, a 40,000-square-foot greenhouse covering half a city block, a state-of-the-art chemistry lab, a full-scale ceramics department, and a culinary institute. He has received a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, lectured at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and served on the board of the National Endowment for the Arts. Strickland was born in Pittsburgh in 1947, and graduated from David B. Oliver High School in 1965. In 1969, he earned a bachelor's degree in American history and foreign relations from the University of Pittsburgh and graduated cum laude.
Throughout his distinguished career, Strickland has been honored with numerous prestigious awards for his contributions to the arts and the community. In 1999, he was presented with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Arts Leadership and Service Award. In 1998, he received the Kilby Award and "Coming Up Taller" Award presented in a White House ceremony by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. In 1996, he received with the MacArthur "Genius" Award for leadership and integrity in the arts. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA.