2011-2012 Selection

Vise Library is pleased to announce that the iRead* selection for 2011-2012 is

Power Trip:

The Story of America's Love Affair with Energy

by Amanda Little

The author will be on campus on September 27th!

Library staff members will be working over the summer on putting together additional programs related to the book. If you have any ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear from you! Email us at library@cumberland.edu.

Here is some information about the book:

Amanda Griscom Little has been reporting and commenting on the changing environmental landscape for over a decade. From 2003-2007 she wrote “Muckraker,” the award-winning syndicated weekly column on energy and environmental policy for Salon.com and Grist.org. She is a contributing editor at Outside magazine, where she writes "Code Green," a monthly column on the people, products and ideas that are giving rise to the new green movement.

Her latest book, Power Trip, is a high-adventure romp through America's energy crisis, combining gonzo investigation with serious analysis of the history and future of energy.

Amanda Little choppers out to a Gulf of Mexico oil rig to explore the latest extreme-drilling technology; crawls down a New York City manhole to examine the guts of the grid; joins T. Boone Pickens on his private jet for a tour of his wind-farm fantasy; talks fuel logistics with top brass in the catacombs of the Pentagon; and shares a play-by-play of a silicone breast implant (it is petroleum derived, after all). A fast read about a critical subject that will appeal even to readers of every age, political persuasion, and level of expertise.

In a starred review, Kirkus called it "one of the best books on the energy crisis to emerge in recent years." J.P. Morgan selected Power Trip for its annual reading list, and bought 1000 copies. Robert Redford calls Amanda Little "the best of a new young perspective, a new voice of green." Jim Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Duke Energy said of Power Trip: “It's hard to imagine a book about energy that would appeal as much to a business executive as it would to an eco-activist--or, for that matter, to a soccer mom, a farmer, a politician or a student. Here it is. This provocative story about America's love affair with energy is a must-read for everyone.”

* What is iRead anyway?

Vise Library oversees a campus reading program known as

iRead, designed to affirm the importance of reading and to

create a common reading experience for the Cumberland

University community. We hope to encourage interaction

among students and faculty and to promote critical thinking

by facilitating reading and discussion of topical books

Be sure to check out the new iRead blog: powertripcu.blogspot.com!

iRead survey!

Please take a few minutes to fill out our iRead survey about this year's programs. We appreciate all feedback!

iRead recap: Dr. Claire S. King

On March 22nd, 2011, Cumberland University was treated to a presentation by Dr. Claire S. King of Vanderbilt University as part of Vise Library’s ongoing iRead program. Dr. King’s presentation was titled “Imitation of Life: Mediated Constructions of Gender”. She began by showing a provocative advertisement of a beautiful woman in lingerie. The text of the ad said “Bet you didn’t notice the armadillo”. Sure enough, there was an armadillo sitting on a chair next to the half-naked woman. Dr. King explained the various meanings of this ad, from woman as an object of heterosexual male gaze, to the humor inherent in pointing out that a va-va-voom female tends to draw attention to one’s eye to the exclusion of anything else in the picture.

Dr. King went on to explain the concept of “gendered looking”—the idea, exploited by movies, TV, and other visual media, that women are to be looked at and men do the looking. She tied this point back to Cumberland’s iRead selection, Bich Minh Nguyen’s Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, by pointing out the impact that popular culture and other children had on the author while growing up: Nguyen learned what she was “supposed” to eat, wear, and play by observing others. Indeed, her desire to be like her American classmates was strong enough to spur her on to seek out images and culture that would help her fit in.

Dr. King then explained the position of a particular scholar, Judith Butler, who argues that gender is culturally constructed and there is no such thing as “natural” gender. According to Butler, gender is a choice (often made unconsciously and sometimes even made for us, such as when baby girls are dressed in pink) and a performance we engage in every day. Butler challenges the idea of a “true, authentic self”, something that is a dearly held belief among many individuality-loving Americans. Instead, Butler argues that we all look outward for cues on how to adopt and form an identity.

Dr. King was an engaging speaker who was able to take complex and controversial theories and clearly explain them in an accessible way. Her friendly demeanor made it easy for audience members to ask questions both during and after the presentation. It was a real treat to hear Dr. King speak on the fascinating issue of gender and media.

Upcoming event

On March 22, we will welcome Dr. Claire King from Vanderbilt University, as she discusses gender and popular culture and their relationship in Stealing Buddha's Dinner. The event is scheduled to take place at 12:30 in the Heydel Fine Arts Center.

We would also like to congratulate the door prize winners from our last session: Marjorie Anderson (faculty), Presli Dickerson (student), and Simon Ryan (student).