collage of photos showing the center facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Montclair Book 2015?

Montclair Book 2015 is a campus-wide program for the Montclair State community, jointly sponsored by the Center for Writing Excellence, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the First-Year Writing Program, and Student Development and Campus Life. Each year, a faculty advisory committee selects a book to be read by all incoming first-year students. The goals for this program are to:

  • Provide a common intellectual experience
  • Engage in interdisciplinary dialogue and debate
  • Build community around a shared understanding of relevant issues
  • Celebrate the written word
  • Offer opportunities for students to reflect on their roles as readers and learners
  • Encourage campus-wide engagement with the book’s theme

Which book was chosen?

For our 2015 selection, the faculty advisory committee chose Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Here is a description of the book from the publisher’s website:

The names Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Massery may not be well known, but the image of them from September 1957 surely is: a black high school girl, dressed in white, walking stoically in front of Little Rock Central High School, and a white girl standing directly behind her, face twisted in hate, screaming racial epithets. This famous photograph captures the full anguish of desegregation—in Little Rock and throughout the South—and an epic moment in the civil rights movement.

In this gripping book, David Margolick tells the remarkable story of two separate lives unexpectedly braided together. He explores how the haunting picture of Elizabeth and Hazel came to be taken, its significance in the wider world, and why, for the next half-century, neither woman has ever escaped from its long shadow. He recounts Elizabeth’s struggle to overcome the trauma of her hate-filled school experience, and Hazel’s long efforts to atone for a fateful, horrible mistake. The book follows the painful journey of the two as they progress from apology to forgiveness to reconciliation and, amazingly, to friendship. This friendship foundered, then collapsed—perhaps inevitably—over the same fissures and misunderstandings that continue to permeate American race relations more than half a century after the unforgettable photograph at Little Rock. And yet, as Margolick explains, a bond between Elizabeth and Hazel, silent but complex, endures.

Where do I get the book?

Copies of the book are available in the Montclair State University bookstore.

When should I read it?

Your first assignment for college is to read Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. You should purchase the book before the beginning of the fall semester, as you will be using it for the first several weeks of your first-year writing class.

How will I use this book?

Several ways:

  • Discussions in the New Student Seminar and other courses
  • Theme-related events on campus
  • Keynote event
  • Essay contest
  • First-Year Writing classes (you will write an essay based on the book)

What resources are available to students?

See links to author information, book reviews, interviews, articles, and websites on the Montclair Book 2015 Resources page.

FAQs for Faculty and Staff

What is Montclair Book 2015?

Montclair Book 2015 is a campus-wide program for the Montclair State community, jointly sponsored by the Center for Writing Excellence, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the First-Year Writing Program, and Student Development and Campus Life. Each year, a faculty advisory committee selects a book to be read by all incoming first-year students. The goals for this program are to:

  • Provide a common intellectual experience
  • Engage in interdisciplinary dialogue and debate
  • Build community around a shared understanding of relevant issues
  • Celebrate the written word
  • Offer opportunities for students to reflect on their roles as readers and learners
  • Encourage campus-wide engagement with the book’s theme

Which book was chosen?

For our 2015 selection, the faculty advisory committee chose Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Here is a description of the book from the publisher’s website:

The names Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Massery may not be well known, but the image of them from September 1957 surely is: a black high school girl, dressed in white, walking stoically in front of Little Rock Central High School, and a white girl standing directly behind her, face twisted in hate, screaming racial epithets. This famous photograph captures the full anguish of desegregation—in Little Rock and throughout the South—and an epic moment in the civil rights movement.

In this gripping book, David Margolick tells the remarkable story of two separate lives unexpectedly braided together. He explores how the haunting picture of Elizabeth and Hazel came to be taken, its significance in the wider world, and why, for the next half-century, neither woman has ever escaped from its long shadow. He recounts Elizabeth’s struggle to overcome the trauma of her hate-filled school experience, and Hazel’s long efforts to atone for a fateful, horrible mistake. The book follows the painful journey of the two as they progress from apology to forgiveness to reconciliation and, amazingly, to friendship. This friendship foundered, then collapsed—perhaps inevitably—over the same fissures and misunderstandings that continue to permeate American race relations more than half a century after the unforgettable photograph at Little Rock. And yet, as Margolick explains, a bond between Elizabeth and Hazel, silent but complex, endures.

Who selected the book and how was it selected?

The Dean of CHSS formed the Montclair Book Advisory Committee. The committee currently includes the following members:

  • Alison Beringer, Assistant Professor, Classics and General Humanities
  • Yasemin Besen-Cassino, Associate Professor, Sociology
  • Theresa Giardino, Assistant Director of Facilities and Services
  • Jennifer Holly-Wells, Associate Director of First-Year Writing
  • Mark Kay, Associate Professor, Marketing
  • Melinda Knight, Professor of English and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence
  • Christine Lemesianou, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
  • Kirk McDermid, Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religion
  • Alicia Remolde, Assistant Director of the Center for Writing Excellence
  • Jessica Restaino, Associate Professor of English and Director of First-Year Writing
  • Nicole Weir, Assistant Director of the Center for Advising and Student Transitions

Committee members engaged in their own reading program and reviewed some twenty titles.  After meeting throughout the fall and deciding on five finalists, the committee selected Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. The committee believes the book is an inspired choice because it will reinforce Montclair State’s global learning objectives, provide opportunities for students to learn about other cultures and explore differences, give faculty ways to approach a particular text from multiple disciplinary perspectives, and enhance our reputation for innovation.

In making a selection, the committee relied on the following criteria. The book should:

  • be nonfiction and fairly recent
  • be well-written and readable
  • engage first-year students and introduce them to college-level processes of inquiry
  • have the potential for building community through a common reading experience
  • be teachable in a variety of settings
  • foster intellectual growth and reflection
  • lend itself to campus-wide events and activities

Where do students, faculty, and staff get the book?

Students can purchase the book through the Montclair State University bookstore.  The University will provide desk copies for faculty and staff.

When should students read it?

Students should purchase the book before the beginning of the fall semester, as they will be using it for the first several weeks of their first-year writing class. Students are encouraged to begin reading the book in the summer, but they should also listen to their first-year writing instructor’s guidance for when readings must be completed.

How will the book be used?

Several ways:

  • Discussions in the New Student Seminar and other courses
  • Theme-related events on campus
  • Keynote event
  • Essay contest
  • First-Year Writing classes (you will write an essay based on the book)

Who is sponsoring Montclair Book?

Montclair Book is a joint effort of the Center for Writing Excellence, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the First-Year Writing Program, and Student Development and Campus Life.

Who can answer my questions?  What if I have suggestions for this program?

Contact members of the Montclair Book Implementation Committee:

  • deCarvalho, Fatima, Assistant Dean for Student Life/Director, Center For Student Involvement
  • Melinda Knight, Professor of English and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence
  • Kirk McDermid, Assistant Professor, Philosophy & Religion
  • Jessica Restaino, Associate Professor of English and Director of First-Year Writing
  • Nicole Weir, Assistant Director of the Center for Advising and Student Transitions

What resources are available to faculty and staff?

See links to author information, book reviews, interviews, articles, and websites on the Montclair Book 2015 Resources page. In particular, the last section includes links to teaching materials.