Amy Tan, author of multiple books including The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife, will be holding a public interview and book signing at the Athens Public Library this afternoon, followed by a public lecture in the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday evening as a part of the Kennedy Lecture Series.
Little Professor Book Center will be selling copies of Tan’s books at the library Wednesday afternoon. The library has room to accommodate about 150 people and is expecting a full house, said Jenaye Antonuccio, communications coordinator for the Athens Public Library.
“She is a big name in literature, and she wants to come to our little library,” Antonuccio said. “We are so excited. We consider this a great privilege.”
This will mark the third of four speakers brought to campus by the Kennedy Lecture Series and the committee’s top choice.
Tan is receiving about half the Kennedy budget of $72,000 for the year, costing $30,000, said Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center.
Holzaepfel is in charge of the logistics of the event and has worked with the Kennedy Lecture Series to bring speakers to campus.
“What has been fun on my part is that depending on the committee, you never know what you are going to get,” Holzaepfel said.
Members of the committee are appointed by Faculty Senate and are instructed to talk to constituents to determine who will be chosen to come to the university.
“We look to see who has broad appeal with both the university and the community,” said Martin Tuck, a member of the 2011-2012 committee and current interim dean at the Chillicothe Campus. “(The aim) is to bring individuals that have made their mark in either their career or in public services.”
The Kennedy Lecture Series hosted Dr. Neal Barnard and William Kamkwamba earlier this year, Holzaepfel said.
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