Lisa Lucas, the publisher of Guernica Magazine, took over as the Director of the National Book Foundation in early March 2016. She is the third director in the history of the foundation, according to NPR.

In an interview with author Marilynne Robinson, President Obama said, “When I think about how I understand my role as citizen, setting aside being president, and the most important set of understandings that I bring to that position of citizen, the most important stuff I’ve learned I think I’ve learned from novels.”

“It has to do with empathy,” Obama said. “It has to do with being comfortable with the notion that the world is complicated and full of grays, but there’s still truth there to be found, and that you have to strive for that and work for that. And the notion that it’s possible to connect with some[one] else even though they’re very different from you.”

Many feel as though our new president isn't listening to their narratives, that he is even disregarding them. To get a better handle on this country, Lucas has suggested a few good reads for Donald Trump:

1. Claudia Rankin's Citizen is composed of a few different creative elements that cover the entirety of race relations and racial aggression. She blends prose, poetry and images to create this elaborate piece that tells the tale of the daily lives and struggles of black Americans.

2. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell tell the graphic narrative, and harsh reality, of what protesting really consists of in March. This books takes you back to 1960s rural Alabama. It's a memoir that details John Lewis' meeting of Dr. King and the battle to deconstruct segregation via methods of nonviolent protest.

3. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild takes on common liberal ideals from a different angle in her book, Strangers in Their Own Land. She doesn't simply argue against right wing ideologies; rather she brings conservatives and liberals to common ground. She posits that everyone's overall goal is to just not be duped. This holds especially true for citizens of red states. She explores how Donald Trump won the election through emotional appeal. The biggest question she tackles in this book is why the primary beneficiaries of a liberal government are so set against the idea of a liberal government.

5. Lastly, Lucas suggests Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped From the Beginning. This novel unveils the truth behind racism and the reality that, though intended for good, many leaders who we thoroughly support actually promote racism by placing the burden of bringing about equality on the backs of black people rather than white people.

These reads are truly astounding and anyone could benefit from reading them. However, Donald Trump may be able to reconcile with those citizens he has alienated by delving into Lucas' selections.

National Book Foundation

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