June 27, 2023
Save the date: George Takei to give lecture as part of 2023 K-State First Book programming
Submitted by Division of Communications and Marketing
George Takei — author of the 2023 K-State First Book "They Called Us Enemy" — will give a lecture at Kansas State University on Wednesday, Sept. 27, in McCain Auditorium.
The lecture, "Where No Story Has Gone Before: An Evening with George Takei," will be free and open to K-State students, faculty and staff. Tickets will be required. More information, including time and ticket details, will be released closer to the date.
The event is co-sponsored by K-State First, Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, K-State Libraries and the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies. View a complete list of sponsors for 2023 common book programming.
"It's been several years since we have had an author on campus, and I'm so pleased that it is George Takei," said Tara Coleman, coordinator of the K-State First Book selection committee and professor at K-State Libraries. "His book tells such an important story, and hearing him tell it live will make it even more powerful. I'm excited to explore these topics together."
"They Called Us Enemy" is an illustrated memoir that Takei co-wrote with Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker. The story provides a window into the Japanese-American internment camps of World War II through the eyes of Takei and his family. It offers Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future.
Takei is a social justice activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author and pioneering actor. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek.
"Although his fame as an actor is notable, iconic in the case of Sulu, Takei has also distinguished himself as an award-winning author, civil rights activist and internet legend," said Greg Eiselein, professor of English and director of K-State First. "Students are going to love this book. It's a moving and powerful personal story and a nuanced look at the complexities of the American Dream."
K-State First Book, the all-university reading program that is part of K-State First, selects a common book each academic year and coordinates classroom and campus activities to correspond with the reading. K-State First Book provides incoming students with a shared academic experience that they can discuss with professors, staff, administrators and other students when they arrive on campus. Participation in the K-State First Book program is voluntary.
More information about the K-State First Book program, the 2023 book selection and resources for its inclusion in fall activities and classrooms is available at the K-State First Book website, k-state.edu/ksfb.