Learn More About Indian Culture through Common Reading
Indian culture will be the focus of Owensboro Community and Technical Colleges Common Reading for the fall semester.
Everyone is invited to read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. The novel tells the story of a family, immigrated to the U.S. from India, and how lives differ across the generations. It is a tale of the defining power of the names, expectations bestowed by our parents and how we eventually define ourselves. The New York Times has praised Lahiri as "a writer of uncommon elegance and poise." The book was named to the New Times Best Seller List and earned a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Many events are planned for the semester, including explorations of Indian culture through dances, festivals, lectures, and film screenings. The Common Reading Committee hosted a booth at the Multi-cultural Festival and the Black Expos Taste of Owensboro. Many other community events are planned.
Students and staff throughout OCTC will be reading the book this semester. The public is invited to read the novel and participate in the events. The book is available at the OCTC Library and Bookstore.
Each semester, a book is selected as OCTCs Common Reading, with the idea that all who read the material will develop common ground for new discussions and mutual interests. The program will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2014.
This project is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of NEH.