We live in a time of increasing ideological conflict, when threats to global peace--including climate change, terrorism, cyberattacks, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and poverty--increasingly impact the daily lives of many. This situation necessitates a turn to peace education, which encourages the development of values, attitudes, skills, and behaviors that enable us to live in harmony with ourselves, others, and the natural environment (Harris, 2010; Page, 2008; Salomon & Nevo, 2002). Responding to this need, in the spring of 2024, the University of Central Florida (UCF), in partnership with Rollins College and the Seminole County Public Library system, leveraged the support of a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grant to curate programs related to Ilya Kaminsky's 2019 book of poetry "Deaf Republic," a rich allegory of the urgency of collective peaceful action in response to violence and oppression. An initiative of the NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, the Big Read "broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience" (n.d., para. 1). The NEA Big Read asks communities to read a selected title together to build a stronger community through literature. The local audience responded to this invitation with enthusiasm, demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary collaborations when curating for social change.