About the 1Book/1Project/2Transform Program

Past Common Readings
Past Author Visits
Current Common Reading

What are Common Readings?

“Common readings” play a strong role at many universities across the nation. Common Readings connect students to their peers and their campus. They promote critical thinking skills and discussion capabilities, and can be considered a “common intellectual experience,” one of the high impact educational practices recognized by AAC&U to benefit college students from many backgrounds (Kuh, 2008).

MSU Denver’s own common reading program, 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform, was developed in 2010.

Mikkilynn Olmsted from the English department speaks about her experience.

WATCH HERE

María Rey-López from the Spanish department speaks about her experience.

WATCH HERE

Past Common Readings Featured At MSU Denver

The 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform program has featured the following books and authors:

The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homelessness to Harvard by Liz Murray
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe
Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore
Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Streets by Carissa Phelps
The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, & Communities by Will Allen
Little Three Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Better Planet by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Sabrina & Corina by MSU Denver alumna Kali Fajardo-Anstine
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Luong Ung

Past Author Visits

George Johnson speaking with students at the keynote book signing

African-American author sits at a table with stacks of books speaking across the table with a standing student. Student is waiting to get a copy of a book signed by the author

"All Boys Aren't Blue" author George Johnson speaking with a student at the book signing

Alicia Elliot signing her book, "A Mind Spread Out On The Ground"

Alicia Elliot speaking at MSU Denver about her book "A Mind Spread Out On The Ground"

Anthony Ray Hinton and his book, "The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row"

Anthony Ray Hinton and crowd during his speech

Anthony Ray Hinton speaking to a crowd at MSU Denver about his book, "The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row".

Anthony Ray Hinton signing his book with a student

Anthony Ray Hinton signing his book, "The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row", for a student

Anthony Ray Hinton Speaking at MSU Denver in Tivoli

Mira Jacob reads a portion of her book "Good Talk" at the 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform event held my MSU Denver at the Auraria Campus on Nov. 2, 2022. Photo by Travis Brooks.

Mira Jacob speaks to the audience with her book displayed on the projector behind her.

Mira Jacob speaks about her book "Good Talk" at the 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform event held my MSU Denver at the Auraria Campus on Nov. 2, 2022. Photo by Travis Brooks.

Diane Guerrero signs a copy her book "In The Country We Love" on the MSU Denver Campus on Wednesday, April 4th 2018. Photo/Mark Stahl

Diane Guerrero speaks about her book "In The Country We Love" on the MSU Denver Campus on Wednesday, April 4th 2018. Photo/Mark Stahl

Author Kali Farjardo-Anstine holding her book Sabrina & Corina

American Book Award-winner Kali Fajardo-Anstine dishes on international acclaim of Sabrina & Corina, impact of local community and the most important thing for artists to do right now.