Foer’s wildly lauded, but controversial novel tells the story of young Oskar Schell’s hilarious and heartbreaking search to make sense of the death of his father in the World Trade Center on 9/11. One year after his father’s death, grief stricken, but undaunted, the nine-year-old boy sets out on an odyssey across the five boroughs of New York City in search of the owner of a mysterious key found in his father’s closet.
New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Safran Foer is best known for his novels “Everything Is Illuminated” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” as well as his non-fiction book entitled “Eating Animals.” A film adaptation of “Everything Is Illuminated,” starring Elijah Wood, was released in 2005 and a film adaptation of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, will be released in 2012. Learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Safran_Foer
An Evening with Author Jonathan Safran Foer Sunday, Sept. 25; 7 p.m. Wharton Center's Cobb Great Hall
Writing Workshop led by MSU Professor Anita Skeen - Missions: Impossible…and Possible Tuesdays, Sept. 6, 13 & 20; 4-6 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road This engaging writing workshop will include three weeks of creative writing and discussion, followed by a participant reading on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the RCAH Theater.
New York Wine Dinner Thursday, Sept. 8; 7 p.m. Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, State Room Enjoy an elegant dinner featuring New York cuisine, inspired by the setting for the book. Cost: $65 inc. tax and gratuity.
East Lansing Public Library Film Night: "Reign Over Me" Monday, Sept. 12; 7 p.m. East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road A man who lost his family on 9/11 runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief. The film stars Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Covering 9/11: Voices from the Field Wednesday, Sept. 14; 7 p.m. Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, Lincoln Room Journalism professor Karl Gude, former director of information graphics for Newsweek, gives a first-hand account of covering 9/11 and other major news stories
MSU Library Film Event: "The Tin Drum" Thursday, Sept. 15; 7 p.m. W499 Michigan State University Main Library, MSU Campus
Oskar’s Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Sept. 18; 4 p.m. Unlock the key to MSU and East Lansing. Join fellow students and community members in an Oskar-inspired scavenger hunt to uncover clues about East Lansing. Click here to learn about prize information, guidelines and registration information for teams of four. East Lansing Library Film Night: "Everything is Illuminated" Monday, Sept. 19; 7 p.m. East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road The film, based on Johnathan Safran Foer's other bestselling book, examines a young Jewish American man in search of the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II with the help of an eccentric local. The film stars Elijah Wood.
Why the Towers Fell: Lessons for Engineering Response from the World Trade Center Disaster Wednesday, Sept. 21; 7-9 p.m. 1345 Engineering Building, MSU Campus Engineering professor, Dr. Venkatesh Kodur, a member of the expert panel appointed to analyze the collapse of the Twin Towers will discuss the findings and report.
Special-Themed Dinners in MSU residence halls dining facilities Thursday, Sept. 22; 4-8 p.m.
MSU Department of Theatre Presents "Return to the Upright Position" Thursday, Sept. 22; 7 p.m. MSU Auditorium, Arena Theatre This MSU Department of Theatre production captures the many voices of 9/11. A New York-style reception will follow with dramatic readings from the book. Free tickets can be reserved by calling the ELPL at (517) 351-2420 or picking one up at the MSU Honors College. Tickets may be available at the door.
One Book, One Coffee One Book, One Coffee will bring community members and MSU students together to discuss the 2011 book selection. Participants will be matched up with someone from East Lansing’s diverse community of MSU students, long-term residents and local book groups. OTHER OBOC-RELATED EVENTS: MSU Libraries Presents “Balancing Civil Liberties and Homeland Security Post 9/11" exhibit September thru October MSU Main Library, 1st Floor West Fill the Bus Aug. 28-Sept. 1 Small contributions create big impacts! The MSU community will commemorate 9/11 and those who served in resposes by donating school supplies, including highlighters, pens, spiral notebooks, paper, to those in need in the Greater Lansing community. Learn more
Remembering 9/11: A Mosaic of Faith Traditions Sept. 11; 4:30 p.m. East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road The Interfaith Council will host a gathering for members of a wide range of faiths to gather and reflect and respond to the events of 9/11 ten years later.
Memorial Service in Honor of the Lost Lives Related to 9/11 Sept. 11; 8:45 a.m. Wentworth Park, Downtown Lansing
"10 Years After 9/11: Community Conversations and Reflections on a Decade of Change" Thursday, Sept. 15; 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The symposium is to take stock of the achievements and failures of the so-called "War on Terror" waged by the United States in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. It will be designed to address issues by six leading scholars who have published extensively on the subject.
Symposium Ten Years after 9/11: Reflections and Analyses Sept. 15; 9 a.m.– 5:30 p.m. Union Ballroom, MSU Campus Sponsored by the Muslim Studies Program, Office for Inclusion and intercultural Initiatives and RCAH.
MSU Library Film Night: "Talking through Walls: How the Struggle to Build a Mosque United a Community" Tuesday, Sept. 20; 7 p.m. MSU Main Library conference room The documentary tells the story of Zia Rahman, a retired engineer and devout Muslim American who prepared to go before the Zoning Board in his hometown of Voorhees, New Jersey, in hopes of creating a mosque in his community.
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