Grad students endeavor to inspire reading Du Bois essays

Whole new worlds of human experience, history, vehicles of expression and even her own American past opened wide to Michelle Gordon when she first read W.E.B. Du Bois’ landmark collection of essays, “The Souls of Black Folk.”

Gordon was introduced to the book as a college freshman. Now a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English, she hopes to bring together people from across campus to read and discuss the book.

With fellow graduate student David Gilbert, Gordon will lead two “Souls” workshops, the first on Tuesday, April 1 at noon. The second will be held Wednesday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m. Both will take place in 4207 Helen C. White Hall.

Workshop participants may choose one of the two dates, and by showing their campus identification cards, pick up free copies of “The Souls of Black Folk” at University Book Store, 711 State St.

The free workshops are sponsored by the UW–Madison Center for the Humanities and are part of the “Call of Stories” series. For more information, contact the Center for the Humanities, 263-3409 or http://www.humanities.wisc.edu.