Marathon Read

BOOK LIST FOR THE 2021 MARATHON READ: ESCAPE IT ALL

• Soredemo 3 gatsu wa, mata [March was made of yarn] (ed. by E. Luke and D. Karashima. Original language: Japanese
• Stitching A Whirlwind: An Anthology of Southern African Poems and Translations. (ed. by Antjie Krog and Megan Hall). Various languages
• Humus by Fabienne Kanor. Original language: French
• Le petit prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Original language: French
• Tschick [Why we took the car] by Wolfgang Herrndorf. Original language: German
• La invención de Morel [The invention of Morel] by Adolfo Bioy Casares. Original language: Spanish
• Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino. Original language: Italian
• 北京折叠 [“Folding Beijing”] by Hao Jingfang. Original language: Chinese

We will have copies of each book in its original language and English translations. You are welcome to read from this list or bring your own text in any language about escapes, including but not limited to:

• Escape from reality/into alternative realities
• Escape from isolation
• Escape from boredom
• Escape from prison
• Escape from everyday life (either good, as in routine, or bad, as in dangerous/violent situations)
• Escaping social injustice
• Perilous escape of refugees and migrants
• Escape from imminent danger and diseas

"Voices of Power in Women’s Activism"

This year’s Marathon Read will celebrate the work of female writers and activists to expand political, social, and economic equality for women. The theme is “Voices of Power in Women’s Activism” and joins the College of the Liberal Arts in marking the 100-year anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Featured readings will include the work of Kate Chopin, Joy Harjo, Rebecca Solnit, Audre Lorde, Julie Otsuka, Sojourner Truth, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and others.

The 2020 edition of Marathon Read will be held virtually on Zoom with guest readers calling in from various Penn Stategroups. The event will begin at 10:00 AM and conclude at 10:00 PM on October 22, 2020.

Penn State Marathon Read – (psu.edu)

When: Thursday, September 19 @ 10:00am – 10:00pm
Where: The lawn in front of the Pattee/Paterno Library

During this annual event, volunteers take turns reading over a 12-hour period. This year's event, Myths, Legends, and Songs from around the World. Selected short stories and songs from a number of languages taught and spoken on (our) campus at Penn State!

Anyone may volunteer for two to five minutes of reading. Groups --  classes, teams, social organizations -- are encouraged to participate by  volunteering for larger blocks of time.

There will be pizza, t-shirts, and other surprises.

Questions? Want to sign up to read in advance? Want to read in Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Chinese, Portuguese or Russian? EMAIL us at marathonread@psu.edu.

To view the Collegian clip that captures images of several of our faculty and students, as well as conveying the collaborative spirit of this project, please click here.

"Pages from 1968"

During this annual event, volunteers take turns reading over a 24-hour period. This year's event, First Books, focuses on Author's first books that they published or their first book in a series, by authors from all around the world. Each title will be available in English and the original language in which it was published.

Anyone may volunteer for two to five minutes of reading. Groups --  classes, teams, social organizations -- are encouraged to participate by  volunteering for larger blocks of time. Remember, it gets really fun in the wee hours of the morning.

There will be pizza, t-shirts, and other surprises.

Questions? Want to sign up to read in advance? Want to read in Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Chinese, Portuguese or Russian? EMAIL us at marathonread@psu.edu.

2017 Book List:

1. JD Salinger, Catcher in the Rye - English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic
2. Lyriae Van Clief-Stefanon, Black Swan - English
3. Ernset Kline, Ready Player One - English, Spanish, and German
4. Cesar Vallejo, Black Heralds - English and Spanish
5. Eileen Chang, Love in a Fallen City - English

Marathon of Madness

During this annual event, volunteers take turns reading over a 24-hour period. This year's event, Marathon of Madness, focuses on literature surrounding madness and psychological themes, by authors from around the world. Each title will be available in English and the original language in which it was published.

Questions? Want to sign up to read in advance?
Want to read in Want to read in Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Chinese, Portuguese or Russian?
We’ve got you covered. Email marathonread@psu.edu.

Thursday, Sept 24 at 12pm
Continuing overnight (Sleeping bags and downy-soft pillows recommended for overnighters) and finishing Friday afternoon

Pizza at 7pm on Thursday
Donuts, coffee and orange juice at 8am on Friday

To read or listen, just show up. Alums welcome!

Join us during BANNED BOOKS WEEK for readings of Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Brave New World!

Questions? Want to sign up to read in advance?

Want to read in Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Chinese, Italian, Arabic or Russian?
We’ve got you covered. Email marathonread@psu.edu.

Thursday, Sept 25 at 12pm
Continuing overnight (Sleeping bags and downy-soft pillows recommended for overnighters) and finishing Friday afternoon

Pizza at 7pm on Thursday
Donuts, coffee and orange juice at 8am on Friday

To read or listen, just show up. Alums welcome!

Sponsored by the College of the Liberal Arts, School of Languages and Literatures, Department of English, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, Department of French and Francophone Studies, Department of Asian Studies, Department of German and Slavic Languages and Literatures, Department of Women’s Studies, Paterno Fellows Program, Center for Democratic Deliberation, Center for American Literary Studies, and Alpha Phi Omega.