New York Times Bestselling Author to Visit Gordon State College
By Karolina Philmon, GSC marketing manager
New York Times bestselling author Barbara Jenkins will visit Gordon State College’s Barnesville campus on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for a conversation and Q&A in the Student Center Auditorium. The free event begins at 10:15 a.m. and will be followed by a book signing.
Jenkins gained national recognition after appearing on the cover of National Geographic following her cross-country walk across America in the 1970s with her then-husband, travel writer Peter Jenkins. Together, they co-authored a bestselling book about their journey. Behind the public success, however, Jenkins privately faced the challenges of a marriage in decline, a story she would later share in her 2023 memoir, So Long as It’s Wild.
The memoir offers Jenkins’s untold perspective on the journey that captivated readers decades earlier and has earned praise from well-known figures, including Dolly Parton and Hilary Swank.
Among those who praised the memoir, Parton shared her admiration for Jenkins’s story and spirit.
“I just read So Long as It’s Wild. Barbara has certainly lived it all and done it all, and she has done it again by putting this book together. I hope it touches you as much as it has me. Congratulations, Barbara. Respectfully and creatively yours, Dolly Parton.”
The event is open to the public. Parking will be available in the Alumni Hall lot off College Drive, the lot near the Student Success Center on Spencer Street, the NAHS faculty and staff lot, and the Melton Hall lot.