Tracy Kidder on Mar 14, 2023 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

“Kidder’s prose glides with a figure skater’s ease, but without the glam. His is a seemingly artless art… that conceals itself in sentences that are necessary, economical, and unpretentious.” The Boston Globe

“I couldn’t put Rough Sleepers down. I am left in awe of the human spirit and inspired to do better.” – Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone

Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Kidder stands at the forefront of American letters as a champion of the heroism of everyday life. With a reputation for faultless prose and profound insights, his mesmerizing profiles include Mountains Beyond Mountains, which brought the world’s attention to Dr. Paul Farmer, and the Pulitzer Prize-winner The Soul of a New Machine. In his latest work, Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People, Kidder continues to amplify the efforts of unique individuals who transcend cynicism and create hope. 

Pico Iyer is the author of 15 books, translated into 23 languages, and the forthcoming book The Half Known Life, already hailed as “a masterpiece... nothing less than a guided tour of the human soul” (Elizabeth Gilbert).

Related Event: Mastering the Profile: Amplifying Voices of Unsung Heroes
Sun, Mar 19 / 1-2 PM / Dart Garden, 121 E Yanonali St., Santa Barbara / FREE

Drawing from Tracy Kidder’s use of the written profile to bring the groundbreaking achievements of humble leaders to broader public attention, former Santa Barbara Independent Executive Arts Editor Charles Donelan will guide participants in crafting compelling profiles of people they know and admire. Free copies of Tracy Kidder’s Rough Sleepers will be provided in advance.

Register at thematic-learning.org/2022-2023

Speaking with Pico Series Sponsors: Martha Gabbert, Siri & Bob Marshall, and Laura & Kevin O'Connor

Presented in association with Doctors Without Walls/Santa Barbara Street Medicine, and the following UCSB Departments: UCSB Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Basic Needs Resources

Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, and Zegar Family Foundation

Justice for All UCSB Faculty Advisory Committee: Gerardo Aldana, Ingrid Banks, Daina Ramey Berry, Charles Hale, Susannah Scott, Jeffrey Stewart, Sharon Tettegah, Kim Yasuda

Through its Justice for All Programming Initiative, A&L remains committed to addressing issues of social injustice

Special Thanks: