Class of 2013
The First-Year Book
FAQs
What is this year's first-year book and how do I get a copy?
This year's book for all new students to read over the summer is James McBride's Song Yet Sung. Free copies will be distributed to entering students at the Summer Advising Days in June. We will mail the book to student who cannot attend a Summer Advising Day.
What activities are associated with the first-year book program?
Well, we expect you to read it over the summer. Think of it as your first college assignment. When you arrive in August, there will be a small group discussion of the book led by a faculty or staff member and including your advising group and peer mentor. There will also be a panel discussion of the book by Washington College faculty. We expect to host the writer later in the fall semester.
What's the point of having a first-year book?
The program accomplishes several things: it gives all new students a common experience over the summer; it allows for an intellectual component to be included in student arrival and orientation; and it introduces students to Washington College's tradition of bringing great writers to campus.
In addition to bringing contemporary writers to campus every year, we have a variety of endowed speaker series that bring important figures in politics, environmental studies, international relations, ethics, journalism, history, literary criticism and art history on a regular basis. We hope that you will take advantage of the superb free programming on campus.
Why was this book chosen?
Song Yet Sung is a fast-paced exciting narrative following a runaway slave's escape to freedom on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It is full of description of the antebellum Eastern Shore and of how the institution of slavery affected and distorted all aspects of society. The book looks at how slaves communicated with each other, how the underground railroad (or "gospel train" ) operated, and the roles played by small farmers, watermen, free Blacks, "slave catchers," and "slave stealers." The novel gives voice to aspects of our history in Maryland that haven't necessarily been told before.
The book is part of the "One Book, One Maryland" program supported by the Maryland Council of the Humanities. We think that students will find a lot to ponder and discuss in this fascinating book.
Where can I learn more about James McBride?
James McBride first became known through his best-selling memoir, The Color of Water. That book tells the remarkable story of his mother, a Jewish Polish immigrant who married an African-American man and raised twelve children in the housing projects of Brooklyn. The memoir is a great way to learn about James McBride and his life. He also has an interesting web site that discusses his literary and musical career (he is a jazz musician): see http://www.jamesmcbride.com/.
McBride is also the author of Miracle at St. Anna, which was made into a movie by Spike Lee.
Questions for Thought and Discussion
- The central character of the book is Liz Spocott, often called "The Dreamer." Consider how the opening paragraph introduces her, identifies the setting as 1850, but makes an immediate connection to the future. How is this historical novel evocative of issues in the world of 2009?
- How would you characterize the future that Liz Spocott dreams of? What aspects of contemporary African-American life does McBride choose to focus on? How does he evaluate them?
- What is the "song yet sung"?
- Consider the wide range of characters and society depicted. How is each of them touched by the institution of slavery and the slave trade? Consider not only the enslaved characters (especially Liz Spocott and Amber) but Patty Cannon, Denwood Long, the Woolman, Kathleen Sullivan, the blacksmith, Constable Travis, and Stanton.
- What does McBride emphasize about the Eastern Shore landscape in his natural descriptions? How does the landscape play a role in the story? In what ways is slavery on the Eastern Shore different from plantation slavery in the deep south?
- Historical fiction allows some freedoms that straight history does not. How does McBride take advantage of this? Consider his depiction of the daily life, speech and interactions of the slave characters. Consider also his giving life to legends, such as the escaped slave living in the wild (the Woolman) and the various intricacies of "the Code," much of which is controversial in terms of the historical record.
- What roles are played by legend, folk tales, superstitions, and so forth in the novel?
- "[God] had cleansed her heart of hurt and given her hope," thinks Kathleen at the novel's conclusion (361). Consider the ending of the book—who dies, who survives, what's predicted for the future. How would you interpret the ending of the book and the prophecy about Woolman's son?
- The book contains a fair amount of discussion about religious faith—through the Christian evocations of many characters, through the story of Denwood Long's loss of faith, and through the narrator. What is the place of religious faith in the struggle for liberation in this novel?
- Consider the stories of Denwood Long ("the Gimp") and the Woolman. How are these legendary figures complementary? What do people fear about them? How are their deaths significant?
- In what ways is this story similar to and different from some of the most famous depictions of slavery in American literature: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Huckleberry Finn, Beloved, The Known World, and A Mercy?