Exploring Learning Critical (Non-Fiction): Reading and Writing

We have included a long list of fiction, biography, poetry and movies to start you thinking about creative writing and biography as a source for understanding more about violence. We hope these titles may get you thinking about other titles you have seen and what they can teach about these issues.

In each module, we also make suggestions for specific pieces you might read or watch and ask questions to prompt your reflection. We also invite you to write creatively yourself as a way to explore what you know about the issues.

A Note on Reading Fiction and Biography

Among the suggested readings for this course are a number of books and articles with difficult emotional content. Hearing or reading about violence is never easy. We've suggested these titles because some people find it useful to hear about the experiences of others, either to help develop empathy for what others are going through or to hear that they are not alone in their own experiences of violence.

That said, we want to tell you to go easy on yourself. Some people (ourselves included!) feel that they HAVE to read the stuff which is most difficult, but there are no awards given for enduring texts which are painful to us and no benefits to reading something we have to shut down just to finish. Go at your own pace. Remember that what is okay for some is very hard for others and that you're reading to expand your own knowledge. You don't have to read everything, and you don't have to apologize for not wanting to.