Office of Community And Belonging Spring Read Initiative

Join the campus Spring Read initiative from the Office of Community & Belonging.

Each spring our office will feature book selection centering personal growth and skills to cultivate connection, belonging, community building, dialogue and meaningful engagement across differences. Our inaugural Spring Read for 2026 will feature the book “Conversations With People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned From Talking to Internet Strangers”, by writer, author, and digital media producer Dylan Marron.

Please sign up here to join the campus read this Spring and receive a complimentary book copy!  Peer reading groups will also be available for participants to read, process, and discuss together in community. Scan the QR Code below to sign up.

Our Spring Read author, Dylan Marron, will be joining us for a campus talk Thursday March 5th, 4:30 – 6:00pm in the Washington Room, Mather Hall.
Book copies will be available at the talk. All are welcome! Light refreshments provided.

Below is a brief description of the book, “Conversations With People Who Hate Me”

“Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers” by Dylan Marron. A book based on his podcast, which connects people who have clashed online for phone conversations to find common ground. It’s a guide to navigating difficult conversations, exploring human connection, and finding empathy in a divided world, offering insights on moving beyond online vitriol through radical empathy and understanding. The book shares lessons from these social experiments, arguing that connection is possible even with those you vehemently disagree with.