Local author Rachel Simon visits Feb. 25

3:18 p.m., Feb. 20, 2004--Rachel Simon, author of the acclaimed memoir, “Riding the Bus with my Sister,” will speak at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Room 115 Purnell Hall. The talk is free and open to the public.

Simon, whose recent book chronicles the daily bus-riding routines of her sister, who has a mental disability, will lecture on community building, familial bonds and the often-misunderstood topic of mental disability.

A creative writing teacher at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., Simon spent a year riding the local buses with her sister, Beth. In so doing, Simon said she gained a deeper understanding of society and a greater appreciation for the friendships and networks that every individual strives to build.

Simon’s book has won several awards and has received favorable reviews in Kirkus, Newsday and other publications. Ginny Thornburgh of the National Organization on Disabilities, wrote: “‘Riding on the Bus With My Sister’ pulls at the heart without being a sob story,” and Rosie O’Donnell praised the book as being “Ša beautiful story of the ties that bind.” The book is available at all major nationwide bookstores and will be made into a film.

Simon’s talk is sponsored by the Department of Anthropology, the Center for Disabilities Studies, the Department of Individual and Family Studies and the Department of Nursing. For more information, call Karen Rosenberg at 831-1851.

Article by Becca Hutchinson

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