Carlo Rotella with James Parker: What Can I Get Out of This?

Join us at Brookline Booksmith to celebrate the release of What Can I Get Out of This? with author Carlo Rotella, in conversation with James Parker.

Register for the event!

RSVP to let us know you're coming! Depending on the volume of responses, an RSVP may be required for entrance to the event. In the event that we reach capacity and have to close RSVPs, there will not be a waiting list.

Get your copy!

EVENT ATTENDEES: Preorder your copy of What Can I Get Out of This? through this page. Books will also be available for purchase at the event. Books can be picked up 30 minutes before the event in the event space.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE EVENT? Preorder the book here to have it signed, and choose to have it held for pickup or shipped from the store!

Book orders are processed for pickup or shipping after ticket sales have closed.

Event accessibility

• This event will take place at street level.
• If possible, events are livestreamed. Check out our store YouTube channel for livestream updates.
• ASL interpretation may be provided (based on the availability of interpreters) but must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance of the event.
• Please email us at ticketing@brooklinebooksmith.com as soon as possible if you require ASL interpretation, guaranteed seating, or other accommodations. Seats are limited.We will do our best to serve your needs!

What Can I Get Out of This?: Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics

An eloquent and moving story about the value and the pleasures of intellectual exploration—and why it matters beyond the classroom.

At a time when college students and their parents often question the "return on investment" from humanities courses, accomplished feature writer and English professor Carlo Rotella invites us into the minds of a group of skeptical first-year students who are ultimately transformed by a required literature class.

In What Can I Get Out of This? he follows thirty-three students through his class to provide an intimate look at teaching and learning from their perspectives as well as his own. The students' reluctance—"How does this get me a job?"—transforms into insight as they wrestle with challenging books, share ideas, discover how to think critically, and form a community. In all these ways, they learn how to extract meaning from the world around them, an essential life skill. Confronting skeptics of higher education, this compassionate and inspiring book reveals the truth of what students actually experience in college.

Carlo Rotella is a professor of English at Boston College and a regular contributor to the New York Times Magazine. A resident of Brookline, he is the author of books about cities, music, boxing, and teaching and learning, among other subjects.

James Parker is an Atlantic staff writer, co-editor of The Pilgrim, a literary magazine from the homeless community of downtown Boston, and the author of Get Me Through The Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive. He lives in Brookline.

About Brookline Booksmith

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!