Stories that Speak to Us: CAHSS Staff Members' Reading and Viewing Picks for Summer 2025
Ah, summer. Time to wind down, chill out or simply slip into a whole new world via page or screen. As part of our “Stories that Speak to Us” series celebrating the power of storytelling to transport and transform, the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS) newsroom asked CAHSS staff members for their recommendations for books and films to savor on long summer days and warm summer nights.
Kirsten Dalquist, coordinator, Enrollment Services
I highly recommend “Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power” by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone. The book is like a manual for how to stay empowered and inspired to create change through these turbulent times. Throughout her life, Joanna Macy has developed an approach known as “The Work that Reconnects” that provides the space to “develop our inner resources and outer community to strengthen our capacity to face disturbing information and respond with unexpected resilience.” The Work that Reconnects draws from spirituality, deep ecology, psychology and social awareness. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with the state of the world, and this book provides some concrete suggestions for how to see reality clearly and then go forth to imagine better ways.
Secondly, I know it’s summer, but … it’s always spooky season as far as I’m concerned. Horror is my favorite movie genre, and my favorite movie ever is the 2007 film “The Mist.” It’s adapted from a Stephen King novella about a mysterious mist that descends upon a small town. When it happens, the main character and his son become trapped inside a grocery store surrounded outside by a mist filled with strange, dangerous creatures. Days turn into weeks as the terrified inhabitants of the grocery store witness the creatures encroach and pick off the people inside. I love the movie so much because it asks the question: what is more terrifying, the monsters outside of the grocery store, or the human beings inside? I must provide a content warning, though: the ending of this movie is the most agonizing and heart-wrenching scene I’ve ever seen. This is not a feel-good movie.
Hannah Fulk, senior manager, digital communications, Marketing & Communications
My first movie recommendation is an oldie but goodie called "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts and available on Netflix. It's a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, who initiated a legal case against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company over its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident between 1952-1966. Roberts plays the role of a spunky, no-nonsense single mother just trying to make ends meet and be a good person, and it's one of the most touching stories of womanhood and determination towards human good I've seen in a while. This movie really inspired me to elevate some of my own sassy energy towards the common good, and who doesn't love Julia Roberts in her prime? A definite must-watch for the summer.
My second movie recommendation also available on Netflix is a newer release called "Woman of the Hour," starring Anna Kendrick. It's based in 1970s Los Angeles, which makes the color grading and cinematography very retro and fun. As a wave of murders makes headlines, the movie follows a young woman aspiring to become an actress as she crosses paths with a serial killer during an episode of a dating show. Kendrick is one of my absolute favorite actresses of our modern day, and her typical snarky commentary and cunning nature shine in this film. A bit of an eerie tale with some embedded contemporary reflections on what it means to be a woman then and now, this movie is another must-watch on my list.
Stacy Moore, manager of business and operations, Business Operations
My first summer movie recommendation would be “Hidden Figures.” Released in 2016, this biographical drama is based on the true story of three female African American mathematicians — Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson — who worked at NASA in the early 1960s. They each faced so much adversity including racism, segregation and sexism and preserved through it all to help NASA in the space race and assist in John Glenn’s successful orbit around the Earth. The film is uplifting and inspiring. It portrays historical events through the eyes of these brilliant mathematicians and engineers who worked so tirelessly to earn the respect and equality they deserved.
My second summer movie recommendation would be “True Spirit.” This movie tells the amazing story of Jessica Watson, a 16-year-old girl who sails around the world. Jessica makes this journey on her own and becomes the youngest person to sail independently, non-stop around the world. She makes the trip in 210 days and encounters all kinds of hardships and struggles along the way. Her family are her biggest supporters and track her location along the journey, which adds to the suspense whenever she runs into trouble. This is an inspiring, family-friendly story filled with grit and determination.
