The Thomas College Common Read is our invitation to join our academic community of individuals who share and explore ideas with each other.
2023 Common Read
The 2023 Common Read is Amanda Gorman’s poem presented at the 2021 presidential inauguration:
Amanda Gorman – The Hill We Climb | Genius
Note: This online version of the poem includes annotations for references to the US Constitution and US history.
About the Author
Amanda Gorman is an American poet, authoring two best-selling collections. She was the first National Youth Poet Laureate, the first youth poet to open the literary season for the Library of Congress, and the youngest inaugural poet. Gorman’s poetry and activism focus on oppression and marginalization, hope and resilience.
A video of Gorman reading at the inauguration is available on YouTube.
Common Read Instructions
After reading and reflecting on this year’s selection, we’d ask you to create a written response. During Fall Orientation, you will have an opportunity to discuss what you have written along with other students in your class. Your written response is due to the Provost’s office by Friday, August 4. For more information, click the button below.
Previous Common Reads
- “Still We Rise” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” Maya Angelou
- We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
- A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskind
- I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai
- Dear Marcus, Jerry McGill
- An Invisible Thread, Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
- The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore
- Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
- The Pact, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt
- The Last Lecture, Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch
- Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin