Syndicated Columnist Ellen Goodman to Speak at ODU

October 8, 2004

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Dominican University will present Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Goodman as part of its Presidential Lecture Series.

Goodman, an innovative force in American journalism, is one of the two most syndicated columnists in the U.S. Her commentaries, which focus on the tumult of social change and its impact on families, appear in more than 450 newspapers.

Goodman's previous collections of newspaper columns have included Value Judgments (1993), Making Sense (1989), Keeping in Touch (1985), At Large (1981) and Close to Home (1979). Other books include Turning Points (1979), a study of the impact of the women's movement on the lives of ordinary women and men. With Patricia O'Brien Goodman also wrote I Know Just What You Mean: The Power of Friendship in Women's Lives (2000). Goodman's latest book, Paper Trails, is a collection of essays reflecting her thoughts on contemporary life over the last decade.

In addition to the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary in 1980, Goodman also received the Distinguished Writing Award from the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1980, the Hubert H. Humphrey Civic Rights Award from the Leadership Council on Civil Rights in 1988, the President's Award from the National Women's Political Caucus in 1993, and the American Woman Award from the Women's Research & Education Institute in 1994.

Goodman began her career at Newsweek as a researcher at a time when few women became writers. She went to work as a reporter for the Detroit Free Press in 1965 and two years later, began writing her column for the Boston Globe. Her column was syndicated by The Washington Post Writer's Group beginning in 1976.

She graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College and spent a year at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow. She also taught opinion writing at Stanford University as a visiting journalism professor.

Goodman will speak at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 21 in The Little Theatre in Erskine Hall on ODU's main campus, 1216 Sunbury Road. The event is free and open to the public, but requires tickets due to limited seating. Free parking is available in the Visitors Lot, west of Sunbury Road. For more information and tickets, please contact Lynda Huey at (614) 251-4610 or e-mail hueyl@ohiodominican.edu.

The event is supported by the Ohio Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Goodman's appearance at Ohio Dominican University marks the start of the 2004-05 Presidential Lecture Series, which has in past years included playwright Edward Albee, educational psychologist Howard Gardner, playwright Tony Kushner, best-selling author Frances Mayes, and poet-laureate Billy Collins. The Presidential Lecture Series at Ohio Dominican University highlights ODU's commitment to the arts, education and politics and underscores the Ohio Dominican motto, "To contemplate truth and share with others the fruits of this contemplation."