Big Read’s Featured Author Julie Otsuka to Visit Campus

As part of Duquesne’s Spring 2017 Big Read initiative, Gumberg Library will host a campus visit from Julie Otsuka, author of the program’s featured novel, When the Emperor Was Divine.

In her 2003 novel, Otsuka tells the story of a Japanese-American family forced to leave their home in Berkeley, Calif., and live in an internment camp during World War II. She will discuss her book and its cultural impact when she visits Duquesne from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, in the Union Ballroom. The event is free, open to the public and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

“Otsuka’s book and Duquesne’s Big Read gives us an opportunity to confront the concerns and misunderstandings we have now with the historical context of the Japanese-American internment,” said Duquesne Outreach and Communications Librarian Christie Kliewer. “We’re looking forward to hosting Otsuka and continuing this discussion about the novel with the Pittsburgh community.”

Launched earlier this semester by Gumberg Library, the Big Read at Duquesne invites readers from the University as well as the public to participate by reading When the Emperor Was Divine. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Big Read has featured numerous educational and cultural events and activities hosted by Gumberg Library that are relevant to the novel.

Visit the Gumberg Library website for more information on the Big Read project, including overviews and reviews of the novel, teacher resources and videos and podcasts related to When the Emperor Was Divine.