Summer Reading

2025 Summer Reading Selection

Primary Trust
Eboni Booth

Pulitzer Prize in Drama winner, Eboni Booth, is a graduate of Juilliard’s playwriting program and the University of Vermont, and she is currently resident playwright at New Dramatists in New York City.

The play tells the story of Kenneth, a 30-something suburban bookstore worker with an imaginary friend who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. After being laid off from his long-time job, he considers applying for a new one at the Primary Trust Bank. Primary Trust is an inventive and hopeful story about modern loneliness, the heroism of everyday kindness, and the joy of finding community in unexpected places.

The Summer Reading Selection Committee, composed of faculty, staff, and student representatives,  stewarded the selection of the text.
 

Accessing Your Copy

Details on accessing your copy of Primary Trust will be shared soon.

Summer Assignment

Due: Wednesday, August 6
More information will be provided soon.

About the Summer Reading Program

This is the first opportunity for new students to engage with the practice of the liberal arts — students engaging in dialogue with faculty and staff members on questions that transcend disciplinary interests and that require independent analysis. Through these conversations, which incorporate multiple perspectives, students synthesize a coherent understanding of human experience. The shared summer reading also provides a foundation for a variety of related events throughout your first year at Colgate.

In addition, your responses to the summer reading will provide a way to introduce yourself to your faculty adviser (your First-Year Seminar instructor) and administrative dean so that they can get to know you better.