SCAD’s Great October Reads
As the collection strategy librarian at the Jen Library, SCAD Savannah, Jackie Dunn knows books. She estimates the Jen Library added 2700 new print titles in the past year, as the award-winning facility reopened for fall quarter with new safety precautions, enabling students to continue to check out materials, and to use computers, scanners, and study areas.
A concerted focus on e-book titles is facilitating an enriched experience for students learning remotely and via eLearning. “We also acquired over 300 new e-book titles this past spring and summer,” Dunn says. “The trend of collecting larger volumes of digital materials will continue.”
Dunn’s personal reading habits are inextricable from her professional dedication. Here are a few books Jackie loves, all of them in the SCAD Libraries holdings.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions, 2013): “Authored by an indigenous woman who is also a botanist, this book offers profound insights into the natural world. Spirit and science unite, inspiring gratitude and offering essential lessons on ecology at a time when sorely needed.”
Paul Koudounaris, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs (Thames & Hudson, 2013): “The word ‘relic’ brings to mind a timeworn, dusty object; not so with the relics captured in these photos. Bejeweled and adorned in intricate textiles, the bodies of the catacomb saints challenge our ideas of corporeality, death, and holiness. Gaining access to these treasures was no small feat for Koudounaris, and the stories accompanying the photos are often surprisingly humorous.”
Kate Atkinson, Life After Life (Back Bay Books, 2013): “This novel ponders the question: What if we could live our lives again and again, until we finally got it “right?” Set against the dramatic backdrop of World War II in England, the reader follows the life (lives, rather) of Ursula Todd, as she tinkers with her destiny and challenges fate time and again. “
Christopher Marley, Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley (Pomegranate Communications, 2008): “Marley’s images of jewel-like insects captivate and inspire. His photography is unaltered; colors have not been adjusted or saturated for visual affect. Many of the photos have been printed with fifth-color metallic ink and are accompanied by essays on insects, color, and design. If you are looking for visual stimulation, let this book be your muse.”
Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (Ecco, 2012): “The story of Achilles has been told countless times, but never in quite so intense or gut-wrenching a fashion. This unique homage to The Iliad is a story of war, but also of love and sacrifice. Miller brings the heroes and heroines of ancient Greece back to life, with unforgettable dimensionality.”
Sabrina Scott, Witchbody: A Graphic Novel (Weiser Books, 2019): “One of the unfortunate aspects of adulthood is that we often become disenchanted with our world. The sense of wonder that accompanied childhood is replaced by the stresses of everyday life. Witchbody reignites feelings of wonder and mystery through unique stream-of-consciousness text and beguiling illustrations, reminding us that the magic of our universe is always within reach.”
Jackie invites you to search the SCAD Libraries catalog and databases and use the online feature “Ask A Librarian”!
By Peter Relic
