TIME Top 10 Book Selected for CWRU General Reading

Celebrated author speaks to the class of 2028 during the fall assembly

The World Health Organization estimates that up to seven million people worldwide are suffering from Chagas – an infectious disease caused by a parasite, but made even more dangerous by systemic inequalities such as poverty and racism.

The disease is mainly found in Latin America and is curable if detected early, but if neglected it can lead to heart damage, digestive and neurological symptoms and even death, which affects around 12,000 people each year.

Chagas and all its social impacts are of particular interest to Daisy Hernández, associate professor of creative writing at Northwestern University and the 2024 Elaine G. Hadden Distinguished Visiting Author of Case Western Reserve University.

Hernández is an essayist, memoirist and journalist whose work focuses on the intersections of race, ethnicity, immigration, class and sexuality. Her most recent book, The Kissing Bug (Tin House Books, 2021) tells the story of the author’s aunt who died of Chagas and Hernández’s subsequent investigation into the factors that perpetuate the disease in the Latino community.

In addition to awards such as the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and being named one of the Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2021 by TIME Magazine, The Kissing Bug is Case Western Reserve’s general reading selection for freshmen.

The shared reading program is designed to help students successfully transition into university life by giving them a taste of the types of seminars and discussions that await them at CWRU. During the summer, freshmen receive a copy of the book, which serves as the topic for the fall assembly. The Kelvin Smith Library provides a research guide on the book and its author, giving students a foundation for navigating the library’s various resources. Finally, the library also hosts a group discussion in collaboration with the university’s writing program to encourage conversations about the book’s themes.

“The Kissing Bug tells a very personal story that spans generations and highlights the basic human right to access quality health care,” said music professor Daniel Goldmark, who chairs the selection committee for the joint reading. “The committee felt it would appeal to a broad range of CWRU students as it addresses themes related to social justice, public health, medical humanities and disability studies, as well as issues related to a variety of underserved, minority groups around the world.”

Students will hear from Hernández—and some may even have the opportunity to meet her—when she addresses the Class of 2028 as the keynote speaker at the university’s Welcome and Fall Convocation on Aug. 19.

The event, which is open to the entire campus community and the public, is presented in partnership with Think Forum, one of the longest-running lecture series in the country. Registration is required.

About Elaine G. Hadden

Longtime Cleveland philanthropist and civic activist Elaine G. Hadden has been a champion of Case Western Reserve well beyond her role as a valued member of the university’s Board of Trustees from 1976 to 2003. Believing that CWRU’s groundbreaking achievements and intellectual contributions directly benefit all of Northeast Ohio, she was one of the institution’s most vocal advocates throughout her life. In 2012, she established the Elaine G. Hadden Distinguished Visiting Author Fund to support lectures by the author of the book, which is presented each year as a university joint reading.