Join us for Breaking the Cycle: Joel Walkowski on generational trauma, recovery, and the Detroit Lions
J oin us at Henry Ford College Wednesday, November 18, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. to meet HFC alumnus, author, comedian, and sports enthusiast Joel Walkowski.
Register for a chance at a free book signed by the author!
NOTE: We will notify the registrants who win a free book! Ten additional books will be given away at the event.
Free hardcover book signed by the author (first 40 registrants)
The public is welcome! The first 40 people to register and attend the event will receive a free hardcover copy of Joel's recent book, Honolulu Blues, and a chance to have the book signed by the author at the event's conclusion. An additional 10 copies will be raffled off during the event.
HFC President David M. Knezek, Jr. will introduce Walkowski, and Writing Center Director Dr. Chelsea Lonsdale will interview him. Joel's mom will also be in attendance!
Note: you must attend the event in person to receive a book. We will notify you if you are one of the first 40 people. You will also have a chance for Joel to sign the book for you at the end of the event.
The event is scheduled for the Berry Amphitheatre in the L (ASCC) Building. Depending on the number of registrations, we might move to the Rosenau Rooms down the hall.
Walkowski on why you should attend this fun and informative event!
Who is this author?
Walkowski is a writer, nationally touring comedian, award-winning roast battler, charity basketball tournament organizer, and cast member on the NFL Fan Therapy web series. He also runs a SMART Recovery meeting at the Phoenix House in Brooklyn. He is also a proud HFC alumnus.
Walkowski describes himself as a poor Midwestern kid cut from the same cloth as his lovable, eccentric father, who kept going despite autism, alcoholism, and severe childhood trauma. Being a Lions fan was a family requirement. One of his dad's rules was ironclad, no matter what was happening on the field: real fans never leave early.
Sneak peek
Walkowski's book uses decades of Lions near-misses and painful defeats as a backdrop for exploring generational trauma, addiction, mental illness, and death. The book connects the fates of the Detroit Lions and the author himself, to examine how a city’s football team can shape the people who live there -- from serious fans to casual ones.
The central message is that you can overcome almost anything if you learn to love what disappoints you, and that the Lions’ story is a human story about breaking out of ruts and accepting that you don’t need to win all the time to be worth rooting for. Walkowski shows how one family’s story can speak to a whole region.
This event is sponsored by the HFC Writing Center, with support from the HFC School of Liberal Arts and the Division of Marketing and Communications.
Fill out the form above to register today!