Author John Green visits Lawrence to discuss KU Common Book | Arts & Culture

When author John Green set out to write “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” recently selected as the University of Kansas Common Book, he wanted to write a book that captured both the monstrous and wonderful sides of humanity.

At an event at KU Tuesday night, Green spoke about the book, which is a collection of essays that explores the human experience by rating topics out of five stars.

During the event, Green said that what we pay attention to does not mean focusing on just the good or the bad. Rather, we can reshape our world by acknowledging both these aspects.

“Everything is interesting if you pay the right amount of attention to it,” Green said at the event. “It does not mean ignoring the world’s horrors. It means things can be better.”

Green, who is a New York Times bestselling author of books including “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Looking for Alaska,” spoke to a crowd of roughly 2,000 students, faculty and community members at the Lied Center on Tuesday. The event was moderated by Giselle Anatol, a professor in the English department at KU.

The sold-out auditorium exploded in applause when Green took the stage. Topics during the evening’s discussions ranged from Kansas’ tuberculosis outbreak to advice for aspiring writers.

A piece of advice Green had for aspiring writers was to read more. He said reading more allowed one to gain the perspective of other people while looking through the lens of another character. He said this was just as important to all people, not just writers, because the ability to understand one another can lead to acceptance and love for one another.

“Listening is underrated,” Green said. “I know what it’s like to be a person with other people, and I know that it’s worth it.”

One of the questions Anatol asked Green was about hope and its presence in the foreground in “The Anthropocene Reviewed.” Green said, “Hope is not some abstract thing,” and it is a prerequisite for him being here.

He said feelings like despair are so tempting, and pessimistic views of the world are incredibly alluring to people, but more often than not, they are wrong. He said the same goes for overly optimistic views of the world.

By paying attention to reality, going outside, and being present with the people you are with, Green said, people will gain a more realistic sense of the world around us.

“Pay attention to the people who pay attention to you,” Green said. “Try to love the world.”

Erica Nicholson, a graduate student studying rhetoric and composition at KU, said she was a longtime fan of John Green and his work. She said he inspired her to pursue a career in the publishing industry due to videos he would post about his copy editor for “The Fault in Our Stars.”

“I think he has good ideas, and he’s good at spreading them,” Nicholson said.

She said she thought his message for the evening was good and that his focus on hope is significant for the time period we are currently living in.

“I think that this message resonates with first-year students but also with everyone and with all that is going on in the world,” Nicholson said. “It’s especially important to choose hope over despair.”

The evening concluded with a book signing by Green, but before that could happen, he had to answer an important question:

“What do you rate common book programs?”

Green gave common book programs five stars.

---

This article was edited by associate news editor Bella Waters. If any of the information needs to be corrected, please email isabellawaters@ku.edu.