Laurie Halse Anderson’s books include historical thrillers, fiction and non-fiction for young readers, and compelling novels for young adults that address relevant themes of being a teenager in today’s world, such as Speak, about bullying, Wintergirls, which addresses anorexia, and Twisted, which shares the challenges of being a young man. A reviewer wrote, “Anderson’s words often seem gleaned directly from a confused teenager’s soul.”

This program includes local school events, a community event, and an evening presentation where Ms. Anderson will engage and inspire members of our faculty, students and graduates, along with Bradford and the surrounding communities in discussions of how her books provide insight into what it means to “Be Human” as a young adult in today’s world.

The event will also coordinate with Women’s History Month. The approach to Women’s History Month at Pitt-Bradford has always been to present programming that is cross-disciplinary to highlight women and their accomplishments and issues in a variety of fields. For 2016, programming will showcase LGBT issues, marriage equality, food insecurity, sexual assault, and leadership. Laurie Halse Anderson writes about many of these issues, but her treatment is that of the writer, the novelist, not the social scientist or economist. She makes the same issues relevant through the creation of characters who tell the stories of their lives.

Prior to her evening presentation and book signing, Ms. Anderson will share her creative process, as well as inspire middle and high school students and their teachers from three local schools. She will also join a member of our Education faculty, a Bradford Public Library librarian, and a teacher at Bradford High School in a community event. Here, teens, educators and parents will explore what we can all learn through the humanities by reading literature to learn what young people face and help them overcome deep personal challenges. At the evening presentation, Ms. Anderson will also share the creative process she uses to write a wide range of novels, along with sparking inspiration for teachers, young people, and everyone who have an interest in writing.

This event is also sponsored by the Bradford Public Library and the Pitt-Bradford Management and Education Program. For more information, contact Dr. Wayne Brinda at wjb27@pitt.edu.