IC Leaders Selected as Literary Ambassadors

By Nicole Kramer ’19, December 14, 2018

Ithaca is Books program highlights literature chosen by community and college leaders.

Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell and Nicole Eversley Bradwell's connection to literature has led to a house full of books.

(Photo courtesy of Buffalo Street Books)

Many people associate Ithaca with the slogan, “Ithaca Is Gorges,” However, Ithaca is also celebrated for its literary excellence, which is why Buffalo Street Books, a community-owned bookstore, created the Ithaca is Books movement this past summer and named several ambassadors.

Three Ithaca College administrators have been selected as ambassadors: President Shirley M. Collado, Director of Admission Nicole Eversley Bradwell, and Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, director for the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Social Change.

Nicole Eversley Bradwell’s deep connection with books comes from her family. Both her mother and grandmother passed books down to her, with one book “Pat the Bunny,” being passed down through multiple generations.

Sean Eversley Bradwell recalls the excitement he felt when reading a book he got from a scholastic book fair. And now, he and Nicole have an extensive list. Their recommended books center on race and justice: “Where Do We Go From Here,” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; “Still Life With Rice,” by Helie Lee; “Double Bind,” by Robin Romm; “Ebony & Ivy,” by Craig Steven Wilder; “Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot.

Ithaca College president Shirley M. Collado has loved literature her entire life.

(Photo courtesy of Buffalo Street Books)

As part of the program, the ambassadors share the role books played in their lives growing up, as well as highlight specific books that inspired them.

Collado grew up treasuring books that allowed her to discover the world and experience new places. She recommended four books that have had a significant impact on her life: "M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A," by her husband, A. Van Jordan, Collegiate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan; “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston; "The Tyranny of Meritocracy,” by Lani Guinier; and “I Know This Much Is True,” by Wally Lamb.

Collado expressed her gratitude for the Ithaca is Books program. I think it's very natural for 'Ithaca is Books' to be a very real mantra here," she said. "I think it's a great avenue for everybody to feel like they're a part of this community through our different vantage points and lenses and experiences."

Extra Reading

To read more about Shirley M. Collado's Ithaca is Books ambassadorship, including information about the books she chose, click here.

To read more about Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell and Nicole Eversley Bradwell's Ithaca is Books ambassadorship, including information about the books they chose, click here.