About the Author: Lauren Redniss.. Instructors & Faculty: Request a Review Copy of Radioactive.. Lauren Redniss Reads from "Radioactive" (National Book Foundation).. "Radioactive" at the New York Public Library..
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About the Author: Lauren Redniss One look at this year's Go Big Read book will have you wondering more about its innovative author. Lauren Redniss' Pulitzer Prize nominated book, Radioactive, demonstrates not only her writing skills, but her artistic talent as well. Art was always a part of Lauren's life with her mother being a dancer, leading her to study dance. She also was very interested in painting, especially because a mother of a childhood friend was a painter. In addition, her grandfather had a grocery store where Lauren helped out behind the counter and when there weren't many customers, she would explore her creativity. She made "jewelry for the customers out of rubber bands and garbage bag twist ties, or she would draw on the backs of cigarette cartons with a sharpie."
Along with Radioactive, Lauren is the author of Century Girl: 100 years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis and Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies. Her writing and drawings have been in many publications, such as the New York Times. She currently is a professor at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her other accomplishments include:
-2008-2009: Fellow at the Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers at the New York Public Library -2010: New York Institute for the Humanities Fellow -2011: A Finalist for the 2011 National Book Award for non-fiction for Radioactive -2012: Artist-in-Residence at the American Museum of Natural History
**Don't miss out on the chance to see Lauren Redniss speak at our annual Go Big Read author event on October 15 at 7:00pm in Union South's Varsity Hall.
Jessica Waala Undergraduate Student
Instructors & Faculty: Request a Review Copy of Radioactive
Interested in using Radioactive for a course? Go Big Read is designed to engage the campus community in discussion, and this year's selection provides a great opportunity to get involved in the classroom.
Interested instructors can email Go Big Read and request a free review copy of the book. Once you've decided to incorporate Radioactive into your syllabus, fill out the Book Request Form. We'll use this form to send coupons to each instructor in the fall, which students can redeem for free copies of the book at many campus libraries. Questions? Drop us an email and let us know!
Lauren Redniss Reads from "Radioactive" (National Book Foundation)
We're looking forward to Lauren Redniss visiting UW-Madison later this year and hope you are, too! As Radioactive was a 2011 National Book Award Finalist, the National Book Foundation has posted a video of author Lauren Redniss reading from the book and explaining parts of her process- a sneak peek at what's in store for this year's Go Big Read.
"Radioactive" at the New York Public Library
We're getting geared up for Radioactive! Whether you finished the book early or are waiting for a copy, learn more about the book through the New York Public Library's online exhibit- a beautiful collaboration between NYPL and Parsons The New School for Design. The site includes videos, games, and artwork inspired by Radioactive in a fun-to-explore format. Plus, learn more about the book itself, including Lauren Redniss' writing process, cyanotype, character back stories, and more. Those yet to get their hands on a copy can preview select pages, too.
This video on cyanotype printing is one of many included on the NYPL site. Head over for more!
"Radioactive" Author Lauren Redniss Named a Guggenheim Fellow
Lauren Redniss, the author of the 2012-2013 Go Big Read selection, has received a John S. Guggenheim Fellowship in the Creative Arts for her work Thunder and Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future, to be released in 2014.
According to the Guggenheim Foundation's website, Guggenheim Fellowships are often considered "midcareer" awards, for individuals who have "already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." As you read this year's Go Big Read selection, we hope you'll find Redniss' Radioactive to be visually stimulating and creative, as well as a thought-provoking read. Click here to learn more Redniss' Guggenheim Fellowship.
This will enable Go Big Read to send coupons to give to students on the first day of classes. These can be redeemed at many campus libraries for a free copy.
We're excited to announce the Go Big Read book selection for 2012-2013! Chancellor Ward has selected Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout, by Lauren Redniss. This book is a great fit for this year's theme of innovation. Readers will learn about Marie and Pierre Curie's lives and scientific discoveries through an unconventional format. The book has been called a "mash-up of love story, graphic novel, and science textbook," and its illustrations- and glow-in-the-dark cover- are interesting and artistic on their own. Author Lauren Redniss traveled the world to write the book, interviewing atomic bomb survivors, weapons specialists, and the Curies' own family, among others.
First year students at UW-Madison will receive a free copy of the book, as will students using the book in their classes. Author Redniss will visit campus in October 2012, and we look forward to further discussion and activities centered around this innovative read. Click here for a press release and further information about Radioactive.
We're excited to bring this book to the UW-Madison campus and community, and hope you'll join us throughout the next year!
Alabama immigration policies may change
Late last year, we posted about Alabama's changing immigration laws. Many claimed these laws were the toughest in the country, and remain opposed. Now, the state may revise these policies, revisiting areas that some found to be an attack on human rights and civil liberties. The new bill would, according to a New York Times article, "remove a requirement that public schools check the residency of new students and that illegal immigrants be barred from public colleges." Other controversial aspects will also be considered.
While many states have sought new immigration policies because of slow federal changes, Alabama's policies have faced legal issues from the federal government. Later this month, the constitutionality of the state's immigration laws will go before the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result, other states are becoming more cautious about their own policy changes.
Nation-Wide Immigration Sweep
Illegal immigration continues to make headlines across the country. In late March, a nationwide sweep detained over 3100 illegal immigrants. Nearly half of those detained were convicted felons, and arrests were made in all 50 states. While some have already been deported, many are awaiting immigration court.
This sweep is a result of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 2011 pledge to focus on deporting illegal immigrants with criminal histories. The operation involved nearly 2000 agents, who, according to one California news source, "typically knock on doors early in the morning before people go to work."
Thanks for commenting!
Once again, thanks for leaving your comments on the Go Big Read blog. Go Big Read is a conversation between members of UW-Madison campus and community, and we love to hear what you have to say about Enrique's Journey.
We must understand, that a person who has to leave his country, by obligation, is a person who suffers, no one leaves home where he has grown, for pleasure. We have to have more empathy and respect for immigrants, who leave their country looking for a better place to live, and sometimes only find contempt and indifference.
...Since the influx of illegal aliens into Alabama, teens as a group have been the most underemployed in the states history.
The situation impacted close to home. In my own family, my just graduated from HS teen was working two part time jobs to make ends meet and save for college and a car. But when the immigration law passed in Alabama, he was offered full time hours at one job, THE VERY NEXT DAY. He was able to quit his second job and that job then went to another American citizen who had been unemployed.
It's nothing against anyone. It's not racist. It's just that we feel our sons and daughters and friends should be working FIRST. But it is extremely hard to compete with a labor force that will work under the table.
It's easy to overlook the contribution that immigrants make to our society. I think we should make every effort to remove the threat of deportation from people who have lived their entire lives in America.
Do you have a reaction to Enrique's Journey, or an immigration story of your own? Are you reading the book for a spring course? Leave a comment and let us know what YOU think!
Our Nations of Others Winners Recognized
Last night, the winners of the Our Nations of Others contest were recognized at an awards ceremony, which also featured a keynote by Don Bartletti, Enrique's Journey photojournalist. The Our Nations of Others contest invited members of the UW campus and surrounding community to submit creative reactions to this year's Go Big Read selection.
Winners were announced in five categories:
UW undergraduate student: "Generosity & El Tren Devorador," photography by Kat Cameron, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
UW graduate student: "From the Eyes of the Train," acrylic on canvas by Beatriz Botero, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
UW faculty or staff: "Going to the United States-1906-2006, mixed media by Micaela Sullivan-Fowler, Ebling Library
Dane County K-12 student: "The American Dream," drawing on wood by Ana Teresa Montes Jimenez, East High School
Dane County community resident: "Wake Up Call," essay by Stephanie Lowden of Madison
A selection of the works, including the winners as well as several other pieces, is on display in the Multicultural Center Gallery at UW Madison's Red Gym until March 30. Click here for further information about the contest and winners. Congratulations to all participants!
Ted Talks: Tan Le's immigration story
On a recent Ted Talk, technologist Tan Le shared her family's immigration story. She speaks about her mother, grandmother, and sister leaving Vietnam. Like Enrique's journey, Tan Le's journey was dangerous, and travelers suffered poverty, fear, and discrimination. Watch the video below, and leave a comment with your own thoughts and reaction.
