We asked staff members at the Center for New York City Affairs and colleagues in The New School what they’ve been reading during these powerful, unsettling days. Here are some of their replies.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X,
with Alex Haley

It has been sitting on my shelf for over a year now and I was excited to pick it up during this time of solitude This book details the tribulations and awakenings throughout the life of one of the most powerful thinkers and activists. Centralizing insights on black pride and pan-Africanism, this book speaks to a timeless conversation of race, violence, and power. Its relevance to this moment is striking.

Sierra Lewandowski, research assistant at The Center for New York City Affairs and graduate student in public and urban policy at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at The New School.

The Hunger Game Trilogy
by Suzanne Collins

My 10-year-old was eager to watch the movies. But our rule is that you can't watch the movies until you read the books – a rule we promptly broke for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. We were committed to enforcing it for once! The dystopian novels ring more eerily these days. They are quick reads, but beware when watching the movies: It took us twice as long as it should have to watch the films because we keep pausing to point out things that were omitted or changed from the book. 
 
Also, I've also started an online book club with some friends in which we use data about the book (i.e. the number of times a key word was used, or graphs that show the frequency of character names across the novel) to spark our weekly discussions. The first book was Sally Rooney’s Normal People.

Tom Liam Lynch, director of education policy and editor-in-chief of the InsideSchools project at The Center for New York City Affairs.

The Edge of Sadness
by Edwin O’Connor

Amply embroidered with often hilarious Irish-American gossip and gab is the story of Father Hugh Kennedy: His crushing depression and descent into alcoholism after witnessing his own father’s painful, lingering death; and, in recovery, his attainment of wisdom and a kind of grace serving a down-at-the-heels parish in his New England hometown. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 1962.

Bruce Cory, editorial advisor, Center for New York City Affairs.

Parable of the Sower
by Octavia E. Butler
 

Sci-fi centered on Lauren Oya Olamina. Butler's created universe, which also predicts ours. Afrofuturism, Black power, multiracial alliances, violence and hope all intermingle and the result is a ghost of our currently lived reality. 

Tamara Ovola-Santiago, senior educator and mentor at the Institute for Transformative Mentoring at the Center for New York City Affairs.

Vampires Anyone?

I am a fan of vampire lore. The three best vampire series I have read are:

The Necroscope series by Brian Lumley; The Shadow Saga by Christopher Golden; and the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. (LKH also writes a really good fairy tale series.)

Benjamin (Cincere) Wilson, program facilitator at the Institute for Transformative Mentoring. 

The Invention of Public Space: Designing for Inclusion in Lindsay’s New York
(out in July)

by Mariana Mogilevich

As we begin to rebuild out city from the devastations of Covid-19 and the deep roots of racism, the public parks will likely play a key role. This is a smart, thorough examination of the possibilities and failures of inclusion from a previous period of upheaval.

Julia Foulkes, professor of history at The New School.

The Undocumented Americans

by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

One of the first undocumented Harvard graduates, Villavicencio ventures to speak to undocumented people across the country and highlight their stories through her experiences meeting, interviewing and often falling in love with them and their families. Villavicencio's voice is not for the faint of heart, as her meetings affect her already strained mental health, but bring out the deep human impact migration, racism, and hatred have on undocumented people in this country.

Melanie Quiroz, research assistant and graphic designer at The Center for New York City Affairs, who recently received her master’s degree in public and urban policy from the Milano School.

I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying

by Bassey Ikpi

I appreciate this book because it delves into the matter of mental health – which can be a taboo topic in some communities and families – and – puts the reader in a position to be empathetic and compassionate towards those who are living with conditions that can be often stigmatized. By using her own experience with Bipolar II, Ikpi humanizes the condition and offers a different perspective, combating outside perceptions and prejudices.

Laurrice Morgan-Eady, executive secretary in the School of Media Studies at The New School.

Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements

by Charlene Carruthers

A leading activist offers her vision for how social justice movements can become sharper and more effective through principled struggle, healing justice, and leadership development. It also offers a flexible model of deeply effective organizing.

Jill Reinhardt, director of development, Schools of Public Engagement at The New School.