As part of the 50th anniversary of the Ostrom Workshop’s founding, we’ve been looking for new ways to commemorate our semi-centennial while honoring Lin’s unique journey. We went back and forth with a variety of ideas, but one that really resonated with us was the idea of doing a children’s book distilling down some of the unique moments and insights from Lin’s uncommon life.
The book catalogues some key moments along the way from overcoming childhood hardships and a stutter along with being denied opportunities because she was a woman, to becoming the first woman (and political scientist) to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. Researching and writing this book taught us new things about Lin and Vincent that I never knew, and left me that much more eager to help carry the torch that they lit and help inspire the next generation of commoners, Workshoppers, and leaders with their example.
Emily Castle and I worked with an amazing team to pull this book together, including our wonderful illustrator Hannah Dickens, and Frank Alexander, along with talking to a number of people who knew Lin and Vincent well and generously offered their time. The Workshop will be hosting a special session on April 14 when, thanks to a grant from the IU Arts & Humanities Council, we’ll be welcoming more than 20 local second, third, and fourth grade teachers to walk them through the book and the lesson plans, games, and materials that we’ve developed in support of the project that we think fit in well with units on civics, and Earth Day.
Proceeds from Lin’s Uncommon Life will go to purchasing additional copies of the book for classrooms, and our other outreach efforts to find new ways to engage with communities and work together for the common good.
