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Good Talk book cover; Mira Jacob headshot
Academics

Graphic memoir ‘Good Talk’ selected for 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform

How to integrate the book on race, identity, division and conversation into courses; get a copy and meet the author.

Good Talk book cover; Mira Jacob headshot

Metropolitan State University of Denver has selected “Good Talk” by Mira Jacob, author of the acclaimed “Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing,” for the 2022 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform program

“Good Talk” is a bold, wry and intimate graphic memoir about American identity, interracial families and the realities that divide people across the nation. It was inspired by Jacob’s conversations with her half-Jewish, half-Indian 6-year-old son, whose questions about the world became more complicated and nuanced as tensions exposed in the 2016 elections spread from the media into his own family. Trying to answer him honestly, Jacob thought back to her most formative conversations about race, color, sexuality and love. 

Written with humor and vulnerability, “Good Talk” is a love letter to the art of conversation and the hope that hovers in difficult questions. It is also an ideal fit for the 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform program, which promotes literacy, engages students in discussion, encourages campus involvement and builds community. Additionally, the engaging illustrations appeal to many diverse learners, and many readers complete the text in less than two hours. 

Meet the author and attend the keynote 

Nov. 2, 11 a.m.  

Tivoli Turnhalle  

The event is free and open to the public. 

Use “Good Talk” in your courses 

Faculty members are invited to weave the text into their courses and use the themes to stimulate important discussions.  

The Teaching and Learning Guide created by Kodi Saylor, first-year teaching-and-learning librarian at the Auraria Library, and Randi Smith, Ph.D., professor of Psychological Sciences, includes story summaries, classroom activities and discussion prompts.  

How to request free copies 

To review a copy of “Good Talk” or request copies for class(es), please complete the request form.  Books for students, faculty members and staff members who participate in the program are distributed free of charge; however, quantities are limited. 

Learn more on the 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform website. Direct questions to Lunden MacDonald, Ph.D., professor of Modern Languages.