Smith Reads

Why Smith Reads?

The first-year reading program at Smith has been in place since 1999. Since its inception, the program’s mission has been predicated on the awareness that co-curricular activities are vital to a student’s overall academic success and residential experience. Reading closely and deeply serves as a tool—a means—not an end in itself. Reading prompts participants to reflect on their own background, beliefs and experience. Engaging in reading with others provides all readers with a commonality to anchor further conversation.

While books comprise the basis of most first-year reading experiences, other forms of “texts,” such as paintings, photographs, film, poetry and works of art are also considered valuable as potential and future reads.

As a community initiative, Smith Reads operates so that all incoming students:

• are provided with a shared intellectual experience upon their arrival at Smith
• may engage in a facilitated conversation about topics of intellectual, social and/or ethical significance with their house peers
• are offered an opportunity to read and personally interact with critically acclaimed authors, scholars and artists
• can interact immediately with Smith faculty and teaching staff invested in their learning

Smith Reads enables new students to consider the college’s essential capacities that are designed to guide their education. Close readings of the chosen text enhance the attributes we espouse as a liberal arts college, where we value critical thinking, respectful conversation, attentive listening and articulating ideas and thoughts.

Following is an abbreviated history of past books for Smith Reads. 

2020—Educated, Tara Westover

2019—How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate, Andrew Hoffman

2018—We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler

2017—The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henriquez

2016—A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki

2015—The Collapse of Western Civilization, Naomi Oreskes

2014—Whistling Vivaldi, Claude Steele

2013—My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor

2012—Dreaming in French, Alice Kaplan

2011—The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot

2010—Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women, Nicholas D. Kristop and Sheryl WuDunn

2009—The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones