In Zombie Seed and the Butterfly Blues: A Case of Social Justice students from a liberal arts class help Professor Delta Quinn and reporter, Caleb Barthes, uncover the political and corporate story behind the scientific development and implementation of the zombie seed.
As the secrets of the seed are revealed, so are the secrets of Deltaâs tragic past which explain her desire to study the sequestered stories of domestic violence, which may lead the reader to ask whether there is a connection between cultural violence and interpersonal violence, and more importantly, whether such knowledge will awaken the zombie in all of us.
Socratesâ oft quoted maximâthe unexamined life is not worth livingâspeaks to the current image of the zombie who walks through life without critically thinking, without addressing political issues, without participating in civil discourse or democratic entitlements.
Zombie Seed and the Butterfly Blues: A Case of Social Justice is meant to engage the college student, to have students address and discuss issues of relevance to society at large. For example, it can be read in sociology or communication classes that show the documentary âThe Corporation.â
Whether in anthropology, business, communication, English, history, organizational communication, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, rhetoric, sociology or womenâstudies the novel is intended to provide a teaching tool to professors who are looking for new ways to awaken students.
The author is happy to discuss how you can use the book in your courses. Contact her at rpclair@purdue.edu.
Click here to view or download SAMPLE CLASS ACTIVITIES.
Award Nomination:
Outstanding Book of the Year Award 2013 from the Organizational Communication Division of the National Communication Association
Robin Patric Clair is a Full Professor, Diversity Fellow and a Fellow to the Center of Creative Endeavors at Purdue University. She has won research awards in rhetoric, narrative, ethnography and organizational communication, including two âOutstanding Book of the Yearâ awards, two âBest Research Article of the Yearâ awards, the âGolden Anniversary Awardâ and multiple âTop Paperâ Awards for her research.
"Just an added praise for one particular book that I use in a research class. Zombie Seed and the Butterfly Blues is wonderful. I don't know Robin Clair, but I commend her. My students are able to relate so much to the qualitative research processes she describesâand to the harried life of an academic on the tenure track. I appreciate and applaud her so much for doing that piece of academic fiction. I use it every spring in my research class." â Robin Redmon Wright, Ph.D, Penn State University, Harrisburg
"Zombie Seed and the Butterfly Bluesis not only a wonderful read, itâs compelling and thought-provoking. I loved it!" â Donald Bain, Author of the Murder, She Wrote novels
"A gripping story about corporate conspiracy and exploitation, relational violence, and the value of social research. A masterpiece of literary technique and thick description â¦an ideal text for courses on relationships, organizational life, and narrative research, and a must-read for anyone interested in environmentalism, creative writing, and social justice." â Professor Tony E. Adams, Northeastern Illinois University