RIT Brings Jarhead Author to Campus for “Common Text” Experience

Public is invited to Anthony Swofford’s talk, Oct. 15

Students across the Rochester Institute of Technology campus are reading Anthony Swofford’s much talked about memoir, Jarhead, for this year’s common reading experience sponsored by RIT’s Department of Language and Literature in the College of Liberal Arts.

Swofford will talk about his memoir at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Ingle Auditorium in the Student Alumni Union on the RIT campus. The event—free and open to the public—will include a question-and-answer period.

Published earlier this year, Jarhead chronicles a marine’s perspective of Desert Storm and his attitude towards U.S. foreign policy, American life and manhood.

Leading up to Swofford's lecture, two panel discussions will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, in Ingle Auditorium. Discussants will include faculty from the language and literature department and, on Oct. 1, a representative from the military.

The common reading experience at RIT—a 25-year-old tradition in the language and literature department—focuses on works by living authors, usually novelists, who are invited to campus. This year, the department has chosen a memoir in place of the usually selected novel. All RIT students enrolled in Writing and Literature I and II, a core requirement for first year students, will read this “common text.” Previous authors who have visited RIT include Tessa Bridal, Tony Morrison, Colson Whitehead and William Kennedy among others.

“There is an interest today in the writing of memoirs,” says Mark Price, RIT professor of literature and chair of the common novel committee. “Jarhead speaks to our present political and social situation in terms of the world. It invites exploration of American foreign policy, the U.S. military and images of American manhood. It is timely and current.”

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