Author Pete Hamill will speak to selected groups of students as part of Bexley Education Foundation’s first Bexley Community Book Club April 30, followed by an evening speech for the public.
Hamill will be talking to students in AP Literature, Contemporary Literature, Journalism and Torch, librarian Mike Nolan said. He added that the students will meet in the band room.
The topic of his discussion is “fiction and journalism, what’s the difference?” said Linda Kass, Chair Elect of the BEF.
Hamill is the first author in the book club program started by the BEF in collaboration with their 25th anniversary, Kass said.
“We looked for an author that would appeal to men, women, and students,” Kass said.
Lists were generated of potential speakers, and Hamill was chosen because his name appeared on many lists, and he was fast to reply, Nolan said.
His evening lecture in the Schottenstein Theatre will act as both a fundraiser for the BEF and an initiative to try to get the Bexley community more interested in books, Principal John Kellogg said.
“It’s a dual function; it is to serve as [an] activity to promote reading, [and the other function] as a fundraiser for BEF,” Kellogg said.
Tickets to the presentation will be free for Lion’s Pride pass holders, $5 for students and $25 for the Bexley community members, Nolan said.
Any student who is not in the selected classes will have the option to attend the evening presentation, Nolan said.
Money raised will go to the Arts Endowment, which helps fund the arts department, Kass said.
Pete Hamill will be the closing event for the Book Club, which has had events throughout the last year.
Club activities include book discussions of Hamill’s work and book fairs, according to the BEF website.
According to the site, the next book discussion will be over “North River” April 1.
“The [book club] is about getting the whole community to read the body of work of a selected author,” Kass said.
Pete Hamill is the author of many best selling books, including “Snow in August” and “North River,” according to his website.
His site also said that he is one of the only people to be editor of two major New York newspapers.
Nolan said that he will enjoy Pete Hamill’s visit.
“I personally love ‘Snow In August’ because I can relate to a lot of things in the book,” Nolan said. “I think it’s great that the BEF is sponsoring an author.”
Senior Danielle Moses read one of his books for her AP Literature class and is excited about Hamill coming to Bexley.
“I’m looking forward to Pete Hamill coming to Bexley; I read ‘Snow in August,’” Moses said. “I like what I’ve read, and I’m interested in hearing him talk.”
Kellogg is also excited about Hamill’s visit.
“I enjoy the community activity around this; it’s going to be a good event,” Kellogg said.
Kellogg also took part in reading Hamill’s books.
“I read ‘Snow in August,’” Kellogg said. “It was a fine piece of literature.”
Hamill will attend a private dinner party with book club sponsors at Giuseppe’s Restaurant before the event and after the presentation will do a book signing, Kass said.
Kass hopes to continue the book club in future years.
“[The BEF] would like very much to do this every year, bring a new author in every year,” Kass said.