Award-winning author draws big crowd

Author Alice Sebold's life changed drastically when she was raped at age 18. But since then she has directed her feelings into two novels -- both of which have become best sellers.

Sebold, whose father taught at Penn, applied to the University but was not accepted. Instead, she chose to attend Syracuse University. Sebold was a freshman when she was brutally raped and assaulted in an out-of-the-way tunnel on campus.

Years later, based on her experience, she wrote best sellers Lucky and The Lovely Bones.

Sebold was selected as the main speaker at the annual Jane S. Pollack Memorial Lecture, held yesterday afternoon.

More than 100 excited fans, writers and Penn faculty -- most of whom were female -- gathered in Logan Hall to hear Sebold answer questions about her two books, her reasons for writing them and her personal struggle as a rape victim. A book-signing session followed the conversational event.

Sebold's memoir was "intense," College sophomore Abbie Feinberg said. "It really opens people's eyes."

Immediately after her rape, police officers did not take her story seriously. Ultimately, her strong spirit and determination led to the arrest and prosecution of her rapist.

With anecdotes and a witty sense of humor, Sebold said that she hoped her books would serve as educational tools and "remove the stigma from rape."

Lightly deeming Lucky "Rape 101," Sebold said she wrote it for herself, with a more direct and factual tone.

"The Lovely Bones," she said, "was written for Susie Salmon," referring to the 14-year-old protagonist, who is raped and then murdered.

Dana Barron, executive director of Penn's Alice Paul Center for Research on Women and Gender, said she and other committee members chose Sebold as the speaker because her books teach "lessons in gender and violence with honest and vivid descriptions."

Barron herself assigned Lucky in an undergraduate Women's Studies class in the fall of 2003.

College sophomore Stephanie Young took Barron's course during her freshman year.

She was drawn into Lucky immediately. "There's no facade. ... Sebold is up-front and truthful about herself the entire way through."

Barron said the center is hoping to host Canadian writer Margaret Atwood as the guest speaker for the Pollack Memorial Lecture next April, as well as feminist theorist Helene Cixous for the Judith Berkowitz Lecture this October.

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