Author, war veteran Roy Scranton to speak in Ellensburg

ELLENSBURG — The Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series at Central Washington University will continue April 25-26 with a visit from Roy Scranton, an Iraq War veteran, acclaimed author, and associate professor of English at the University of Notre Dame.

Scranton believes climate change and protecting the environment are not just factual issues; they are also moral issues that humankind must confront. During a two-day event, he will discuss his experiences in Iraq to confront the grim realities of climate change. His critically acclaimed book Learning to Die in the Anthropocene offers a response to the problem of climate change by arguing that, to survive, we must come to terms with our own mortality.

On Thursday, April 25, at noon, Scranton will present a craft talk called “Witnessing Climate Change” in the Brooks Library Student Commons. He will then deliver a public reading and book signing at 6 p.m. in Health Sciences, room 102, focusing on Beginning with the End: Climate Change, Ethical Pessimism, and the Limits of Narrative.

At noon Friday, April 26, Scranton will participate in a public panel on climate change at the Ellensburg Public Library. The topic of the panel discussion will be “The Impact of Climate Change on the Youth: Being Optimistic vs. Being Pessimistic.” Scranton will be on a panel that includes:

• Pamela McMullin-Messier, Professor and Chair of CWU Department of Sociology (moderator)
• Carlyn Saunders, KEEN (Kittitas Environmental Education Network)
• Jeff Hashimoto, Science/Environmental Science teacher at Ellensburg High School
• Gwynn Scoville, student from EHS Environment Club, Ellensburg High School

Members of the CWU and Ellensburg communities are invited to join Scranton as he helps us uncover the art of crafting non-fiction by using personal experience and profound knowledge.

The April 25-26 events are funded and supported by the CWU President's Office and are part of the university's Living with Climate Change series. Visit cwu.edu/events for registration information.