Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s PSU Weekend, the community-wide event held annually at Portland State. The event will launch with Gruen’s address this Friday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the SMSU ballroom and will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 23.
“PSU Weekend is a series of fun and informative events showcasing PSU faculty, alumni and community luminaries,” PSU events coordinator Sara Haley said. “The ‘Weekend’ is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year and continues the tradition of excellence and lifelong learning.”
Water for Elephants spent 12 weeks on The New York Times’ Best Seller List and has more than 3 million copies in print worldwide in 44 languages. The book received several awards and was adapted into a film this past spring, starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz.
Gruen’s most recent book, Ape House, was published in September 2010.
Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary school drop-out who comes across a traveling circus train and begins to work as the show’s vet. While working for the Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth, he falls in love with Marlena, a married circus performer, and tenderly cares for Rosie, an elephant who only understands commands spoken in Polish. Throughout, Jacob undergoes a transformation within, and transforms others with his perseverance and integrity.
“I am excited to have Sara Gruen as our keynote speaker,” Haley said. “[She] will be discussing how she goes from project to process through fascinating research and immersion into the characters and novels she creates.”
Gruen, a self-proclaimed animal lover, has covered a range of species in her novels, from horses and elephants to, most recently, apes. She has studied linguistics in order to better communicate with apes and is one of the few individuals allowed access to the Great Ape Trust located in Des Moines, Iowa.
PSU Weekend is a program sponsored by the PSU Alumni Association and planned by a committee comprised of several community volunteers, alumni and staff. Each year the committee creates a list of potential keynote speakers and votes for its top selection, Haley said, always “mindful to choose keynote speakers that are well versed in different fields from year to year.”
A special student interaction session will be offered to Portland State students on Friday afternoon to meet Gruen and learn more about the writing process.
Tickets for Gruen’s keynote address are $5 for PSU students and $20 for general admission, available online through www.pdx.edu/alumni/PSU-weekend, at the door or in advance at the alumni office.