Salem State's First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) Program
The First Year Experience (FYE) office is excited to announce that Salem State鈥檚 First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) selection for the 2023-2024 academic year is 鈥淭ies That Bind: Stories of Love & Gratitude from the First Ten Year of StoryCorps鈥 edited by Dave Isay.

The FYRE program connects new students to the university community through a shared reading experience, welcoming them to a culture that values the thoughtful discussion of ideas.
First-year students will receive the book free of charge during summer orientation, and are expected to read it prior to the start of the fall semester. Throughout the year, a number of events, activities, and in-class assignments will be connected to the themes within the book.
Past FYRE Selections
- 鈥淐ollege Rules!鈥 (2022)
- "Tell Me Who You Are: A Road Map for Cultivating Racial Literacy" (2021)
- 鈥淟ook Me in the Eye鈥 (2020)
- 鈥淭he Book of Unknown Americans鈥 (2019)
- 鈥淭he Hate U Give鈥 (2018)
- 鈥淏ad Feminist鈥 (2017)
- 鈥淗ow Does it Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America鈥 (2016)
- 鈥淪pare Parts鈥 (2015)
- 鈥淚 am Malala鈥 (2014)
- 鈥淥range is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison鈥 (2013)
- 鈥淭he Leftovers鈥 (2012)
- 鈥淪uperFreakonomics鈥 (2011)
- 鈥淪cratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream鈥 (2010)
- 鈥淟istening is an Act of Love鈥 (2009)
To recommend a book to the selection committee, email the title and author to fyre@salemstate.edu.