Students and faculty at Sinclair have an opportunity to hear firsthand from an award-winning
writer when JR Jamison is welcomed by the college on Nov. 7. The author of Hillbilly Queer is
scheduled to share insights from his widely covered debut book during two sessions on campus.
Hosted by Sinclair’s Sociology, Geography, and Social Work department, the Nov. 7 Meet the
Author event is free for members of faculty and students. Jamison is the first author this semester
to be welcomed as part of the college’s Diversity calendar of events.
Jamison’s sessions are scheduled to take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to
12:15 p.m. in Building 2’s room 2334. Interested parties are being asked to register for a single
session each by visiting https://www.sinclair.edu/student-life/diversity-on-campus/.
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Published in 2021, Jamison’s memoir Hillbilly Queer has been celebrated as a love story
between a father and son who are forced to confront their differences and learn, during a trip to
rural Missouri, that they are not so different after all. Taking place during the aftermath of the
contentious 2016 Presidential Elections, Hillbilly Queer is a story about coming together,
healing, and familial love. The book has been called “challenging”, “humane”, and “beautiful”
by commentators around the world. Since its debut, Hillbilly Queer has been covered by a
wide range of news outlets, including The Guardian, PBS, and the Runner’s World.
Acclaimed for the intimacy and humanity of his work, Jamison has written extensively for a
wide range of publications including Writer’s Digest and The Huffington Post. He is currently
the host of the NPR podcast and radio program The Facing Project. The author is also the
founder of a nonprofit of the same way, which aims to bring communities together through
empathy, listening, and storytelling.
Ismael Mujahid
Intern