With 21 novels and four film adaptations under her belt, Jodi Picoult is bringing her legacy to Athens.
Tuesday, Picoult will give a community interview at the public library and will give a lecture later in the evening.
The best-selling author is visiting as a part of the Kennedy Lecture Series. Picoult will give a public lecture in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
“Our goal is to bring in a diversity of individuals every year,” said Scott Moody, chair of the Kennedy Lecture Series committee. “So every time we have an event, the audience will be a different splice of the community, faculty and students.”
Moody said on average the cost for most speakers — including advertisements, travel expenses and an honorarium — is about $10,000 to $15,000.
This event marks the second time the series has partnered with the Athens County Public Libraries to fulfill the secondary presentation portion of the event. The library did not aid in paying the bill; the cost for bringing Picoult comes out of the Lecture Series’ budget for speakers.
“There’s a historical way of looking at the university and the town as two separate identities,” said Jenaye Antonuccio, communications coordinator for the Athens County Public Libraries. “I don’t think it’s that way so much anymore. There’s been a lot of work done to try and meld the two. … In order for this cohesiveness, it’s a good idea to have these kinds of events.”
Antonuccio will interview Picoult at the Athens Public Library before opening it up for a book signing.
“What’s really curious about what she does to me is that all her books are controversial subjects, but she really wrestles to find the truth in the situation and make people think … about what they’d think in those situations,” she said. “It’s a really unique approach to fiction.”
Antonuccio said she is very excited to have a high-caliber author visit Athens.
“When people like that come into such a small town it means they find us important enough,” she said. “When it was first announced, I can’t tell you how many people were excited. She’s really prolific. … After a long and dreary winter, it’s a perk.”
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If You Go:
What: A face-to-face interview with Jodi Picoult
When: 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Athens Public Library, 30 Home St.
Admission: Free
What: Jodi Picoult: The Facts Behind the Fiction
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
Admission: Free
