2008 Woodie Awards
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Biographical writer shares life stories
Author of "The Glass Castle," Jeannette Walls, inspires local community
By: Kelly Metz
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Campus
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The Lenhart Grand Ballroom was filled with laughter, silence and other mixed emotions as Jeannette Walls, author of "The Glass Castle," came yesterday to share her story with staff, faculty, community members and students.
"The Glass Castle," the common reading book and the community read for the city of Bowling Green this year, was chosen for being provocative and engaging and a book everyone can relate to, literature professor Brett Holden said.
"This book is a wonderful example of a person who thrived under what most people consider impossible obstacles," he said.
The memoir, about the life of young Jeannette Walls and her family living in poverty-stricken environments from Arizona to West Virginia, has received varied comments from readers. These comments have dealt with the unique selfishness of her eccentric mother to the trying times of love and understanding from an alcoholic father.
Although this book might have been hard for readers, the pain and struggles were nothing compared to what Walls felt while writing.
Her mother encouraged her to be truthful, yet Walls still felt her world would come crashing down once people knew the reality of her homeless and poor background.
"Once people knew the truth, I was going to lose everything," Walls said. "I've never been so wrong and never been so happy to be wrong."
Walls said coming clean about her background and her story is the most emancipating experience in her life and she is constantly fascinated by reader reactions to her story.
Walls remembers two particular reader reactions, one from a cheerleader claiming she would never be mean to a poor girl at school and an Alabama teenager who told her, "This here is a fine white-trash story." Walls said this is the best compliment she ever received.
Walls believes that if a "white-trash" boy can relate, and a cheerleader vacationing in the Caribbean can relate, that is the greatest gift she can give to her readers.
Empathy and relating to others in different circumstances were stressed by Walls as she discussed her childhood and growing up in Welch, W.Va. She considers herself scrappy because of this background, but acknowledges she couldn't be like that all the time.
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