Annual Review '25-26: Green light for conversation and community

Student excitement helped launch the 2025 common book program with unmistakable momentum, as tickets to see author John Green discuss his book, “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” were claimed within a day — filling the Lied Center with 1,500 students, staff, faculty and community members eager to hear from the bestselling author of this year’s KU Reads selection.

At the September event, Green spoke with the KU community about curiosity, asking questions of the world, and developing one’s own writing style. The energy surrounding the event underscored how deeply the book resonated across campus. Green told the audience, "I never imagined that [the book] would be read in an academic context by so many smart young people. It is such a gift to me ... I really appreciate y'all reading it and I really appreciate being able to be in conversation and community with you."

The event was a collaborative effort among the KU Reads partners — KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, and Academic Affairs — with support from the Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Program. It served as a high-profile starting point for a year of programming designed to connect readers through shared inquiry, reflection, and community engagement, facilitated by KU Libraries Common Book Librarian Samantha Greeson.

“John Green’s talk launched this year’s programming by inviting us to reflect on our own corner of the Anthropocene here at KU," Greeson said. “Throughout the year, we continued that exploration by considering what it means to live in this moment and how, together, our actions can shape the future we hope to create. Along the way, this book inspired thoughtful conversations and meaningful connections across campus and the Lawrence community, reminding us that even small steps, taken together, can create lasting change.”

KU Reads distributed approximately 3,000 copies of the book to students, staff, faculty, campus partners, and community members. Distribution efforts extended the program’s reach through collaborations with the University Honors Program, Self Graduate Programs, Summer Freshman Orientation, New Faculty Orientation, the Teaching Summit, and Fuel Up for Finals events with KU Libraries and HawkLink.

Momentum continued through “Lawrence Reviewed,” a KU Reads initiative that invited students and community members to critically engage with their own local slice of the Anthropocene by contributing reviews of the places, objects, and experiences that shape KU and Lawrence. From August 2025 through May 2026, participants submitted 376 reviews through class assignments, website submissions, and pop-up events where they reviewed the Jayhawk, KU Libraries, and more KU and community topics.

These efforts carried the enthusiasm for Green’s visit into sustained conversations about reading, writing, curiosity, and place — demonstrating the common book program’s power to bring the KU and larger community into shared conversation.

This story first appeared in KU Libraries 2025-26 Annual Review, a publication that reviews accomplishments of the past year and provides a glimpse of priorities moving forward. See this story and discover more in the full issue via the downloadable pdf.