Authors and Common Read speakers offer unique perspectives on life and the world we share. Poets, journalists and activists bring you inside their writing, challenging each of us to better know ourselves through storytelling.
Elizabeth Smart
<p>The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases of our time.</p><p> Elizabeth was abducted on June 5, 2002, and her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her and her family if she tried to escape.
Michele Norris
<p>An award-winning journalist, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author, and one of the most recognized voices in radio, Michele Norris engages audiences in candid discussion about current events, social issues, and bridging the divide in America. </p><p>From the radio airwaves of NPR to <em>The Washington Post </em>to her current role as MSNOW Senior Contributor, Michele Norris is one of the most trusted voices in American journalism. </p><p>For a decade, as host of National Public Radio’s longest-running program, “All Things Conside
Sonia Nazario
<p>Sonia Nazario is an award-winning journalist whose stories have tackled some of this country’s most intractable problems -- hunger, drug addiction, immigration -- and have won some of the most prestigious journalism and book awards. </p><p>She is best known for "Enrique's Journey," her story of a Honduran boy’s struggle to find his mother in the U.S. Published as a series in the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>, "Enrique's Journey" won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2003.
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
<p>Dr. Marc Lamont Hill shares a bold vision of the future, where social progress and the pursuit of equality depend on listening to each other while adopting a fearless attitude toward change.</p>
<p>As a scholar and award-winning author, Dr. Hill expertly dissects political and social moments as a way to initiate frank discussions on culture, politics and race. By identifying key issues, challenges, controversies and trends in the news, he spotlights the work that must be done to sustain the ongoing struggle for equality and freedom.</p>
Scott Dikkers
<p>Well before the era of “fake news” became, well, real, Scott Dikkers and his fellow founders at Founder of <em>TheOnion.com </em>mocked popular culture and media tropes. Dikkers then went on to found the world’s first humor website, TheOnion.com.</p><p>From his experience in developing a creative culture of frank honesty and freedom at <em>The Onion. </em>Scott Dikkers shares how he built one of the most famous top comedy brands in the business.