Desserts and Discourse

The Department of English Language and Literature hosted their first “Desserts and Discourse” event September 17 at Art Reach of Mid Michigan in downtown Mount Pleasant. The purpose of this event is to create a space for CMU students, faculty, and community members to eat a tasty treat and discuss issues related to books.

Holly Lewis, CMU Professor of English and host of the event, kicked off the event by asking the question, "Should we read problematic texts?"

A participant responded with asking how to define "problematic" texts. This sparked a conversation about what makes a book problematic, how censorship affects the accessibility of books, and if it is possible to separate a problematic author from their work.

Thirty-eight participants attended this event, proving how invested people are in discussions about the intersection of literature and censorship. 

“We need to consistently keep working to make space to have these conversations," said first-year CMU student Riley.

Community member Corvid thought Desserts and Discourse created an environment of fun and learning.

"Not everyone has the same opinion, so it was really interesting to have like actual dialogue and discussion instead of just an echo chamber, which is how things can turn in a lot of online spaces if you’re not careful,” said Corvid.

Several CMU faculty joined the community members and students gathered at Art Reach to engage in the discussion as well.

"The room could hardly contain all of the passion and people," said English faculty member Dustin Shattuck. "I felt very uplifted by the excitement and critical thinking that our students brought to this conversation, and how we could have great discussions beyond our classrooms and the borders of campus."

The Desserts and Discourse series will feature one event per semester, at Art Reach. Stay tuned to the Department of English Language and Literature website and their Instagram feed to be updated about their many annual literary events.