COD launches Great Read Series events featuring ‘Gods of Jade and Shadow'
College of DuPage is launching the Great Read Series this fall with a series of free events inspired by Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Gods of Jade and Shadow,” culminating with a talk and book signing by the author on Monday, Oct. 28. It will be at 6 p.m. in the Student Resource Center, Room 2000, on the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.
Hosted by the English program, the series will encourage readers to gain a new perspective on contemporary voices at a wide range of upcoming events held throughout the fall semester, said Assistant Professor of English Alejandra Ortega.
“When I first built this program, I wanted to find a way to enrich student learning experiences and build connections between COD and our community,” she said. “This program will allow us to extend COD to offer more active learning opportunities for students outside of the classroom and provide further access to our resources to the community.”
The Jazz Age fantasy novel follows Casiopea Tun in her quest to help the Mayan god of death reclaim his throne after unwittingly freeing him from a strange wooden box found in her wealthy grandfather’s basement.
COD will incorporate the novel into various facets of campus life, including student art showcases, book discussions and faculty-led lectures. Select classes also will be officially linked to the program to approach the text through different lenses.
Enrolled students will receive free copies of the book, which can also be checked out of the college’s library and at local libraries.
Associate Professor of History John Parris said the book’s setting in a remote part of the Mexican Yucatán is a critical component of the story.
“Throughout Mexican history, including in many respects today, this region has been somewhat isolated from the outside world, which has been both a blessing and hardship as reflected in this work,” he said. “The strong emphasis on Mayan mythology, religion and values is on full display in this novel, as is the frustration of an ambitious, daring young lady who wishes to see the broader world in the transformative 1920s.”
In addition to “Gods of Jade and Shadow,” which received both the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic and the Ignyte Award, Moreno-Garcia has written several critically acclaimed novels, including “Mexican Gothic” and “Velvet Was the Night.”
She also has edited several anthologies, including “She Walks in Shadows,” and her fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies.
Ortega said the Great Read Series was created with the belief that learning is not limited to the walls of the college and to offer more active learning opportunities for students and the community.
The college plans to select one book annually that highlights cultural differences, provides students with a chance to see themselves within literature, showcases contemporary voices, and encourages everyone to learn from and listen to a new perspective.
“When I was thinking about an author and book that would connect with our students, I found that ‘Gods of Jade and Shadow’ offers many avenues for discussion,” she said. “It involves considerations of identity, culture, family dynamics and features two characters that have to go on a journey to grow as individuals and learn how they fit into the world at large. I believe these are experiences that our students can connect to.”
Learn more about the Great Read Series at College of DuPage at www.cod.edu/academics/academic_opportunities/great-read-series/.