New York Times best selling author Ira Wagler to speak at VU

April 02, 2018
VINCENNES, Ind. - Ira Wagler, author of The New York Times best seller 鈥淕rowing Up Amish: A Memoir鈥 (Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), will be featured in two presentations offered through the 日韩中文字幕福利片 Humanities Films and Lecture Series. The Series is sponsored by the VU College of Humanities. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
Wagler鈥檚 first presentation, on April 2 at 3 p.m. (EDT), will offer a glimpse into his writing process. The session will take place at the Shircliff Humanities Center, Room 229, 130 E. Harrison St.
On April 3, Wagler will discuss his personal experiences of 鈥榞rowing up Amish鈥 in two sessions - 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. - at VU鈥檚 Shircliff Auditorium, also located in the Shircliff Humanities Center.
Also on April 3, the Humanities Films and Lecture Series will offer a screening of the documentary 鈥淒evil鈥檚 Playground,鈥 which explores the role of Rumspringa in the Amish community. Rumspringa is a rite of passage that takes place during adolescence and ends when a youth chooses either to leave the community or to be baptized within the Amish church. The screening will take place at Jefferson Union, 1379 N. Chestnut St.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ira Wagler describes his memoir - 鈥淕rowing Up Amish: A Memoir鈥 (Tyndale House Publishers, 2011) - as a 鈥渏ourney at its core no different than many coming-of-age journeys.鈥 Inspired by his favorite writer, Thomas Wolfe, Wagler鈥檚 book is a true story of self-discovery and seeking where he belongs. The epilogue to his book concludes, 鈥淚 have no regrets for the road I chose. And I rarely wonder how life would have been on the road not taken.鈥
Born in 1961 in the small Old Order Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario, Wagler鈥檚 book creates a vivid portrait of Amish life from childhood to his decision to leave the Amish community for good at age 26. In between, beginning at age 17, Ira left and then returned to the community numerous times over five years, torn between his heritage and the freedom and possibilities of the outside world. The book describes a difficult path with 鈥測ears of turmoil, rage, and anguish.鈥 The 9th child out of 11 children, Wagler dedicated his book to his mother, Ida Mae, who 鈥渘ever wavered in her deep love for all her children, even - and maybe especially - for her wayward sons.鈥
Wagler is a 1991 日韩中文字幕福利片 alumnus who holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English from Bob Jones University (1993) and a law degree from Dickinson School of Law (1997). VU awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Letters in 2012.
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