Author Alice Walker next in Distinguished Speaker Series

Alice Walker

University Park, Pa. -- Poet, novelist, short-story writer, essayist and biographer Alice Walker is the next speaker in Penn State's 2004-2005 Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 21, at Eisenhower Auditorium.

The event is free to the public, but tickets are required.

Walker reached the pinnacle of literary success when she won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for fiction for her book "The Color Purple." Among her other works are two collections of short stories, four volumes of poetry, two collections of essays, two children's books and four other novels, including "Possessing the Secret of Joy," which spent 15 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Published in 1997, her autobiographical essay, "Anything We Love Can Be Saved: A Writer's Activism," showcased Walker's commitment to activism in its cultural, political and spiritual forms. Her quest to bring to light worldwide human rights issues includes her serving as executive producer of an independent film "Warrior Marks," a documentary on the subject of female genital mutilation. She also collaborated on a companion book to the movie in 1993. Walker's work has appeared in national and international publications and has been lauded with numerous prestigious awards.

The general public may pick up tickets beginning today, March 16, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets may be obtained from the Eisenhower Auditorium box office, HUB-Robeson Center outlet and the Downtown Theatre Center. Two free tickets will be issued per person.

The Distinguished Speaker Series is sponsored by the University Park Allocation Committee and coordinated by the Distinguished Speaker Series Committee and the Office of Student Activities. Funded by student activity fees, the series is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities at (814) 863-3786 or stop by 207 HUB-Robeson Cultural Center.

For photos of the DSS speakers, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2004_09_02_dss/index.html