Ithaca College

As part of the First-Year Reading Initiative (FYRI), author James McBride will hold a talk and Q&A session on Nov 3rd at 7:30 p.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall, Whalen Center for Music. There will be a book signing and light reception immediately following the lecture in McHenry Lobby from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the community, but space is limited.

Winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction,The Good Lord Bird is the fictional memoir of Henry Shackleford, a teenaged slave in Kansas who joins up with the abolitionist John Brown. Shackleford narrates his encounters with historical figures such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman as well as the events of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Described as both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival, The Good Lord Bird is an absorbing mixture of history and imagination. There are plans for The Good Lord Bird to be adapted for the big screen.

All incoming first-year students received a copy of The Good Lord Bird during their visit to campus for summer orientation. At the beginning of the fall semester, they attended a presentation and then participated in small-group discussions with faculty and staff volunteers who had also read the book. The FYRI program introduces students to a community of learners and provides an opportunity for them to meet faculty, staff and other new students from different departments.

Visit the Events Calendar for more information.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Tammy Sritecha at tsritecha@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3113. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.