{"id":7971,"date":"2011-09-10T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2011-09-10T14:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=7971"},"modified":"2011-09-10T01:45:55","modified_gmt":"2011-09-10T06:45:55","slug":"l-a-times-columnist-author-of-the-soloist-to-speak-september-29th-in-apsu-dunn-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2011\/09\/10\/l-a-times-columnist-author-of-the-soloist-to-speak-september-29th-in-apsu-dunn-center\/","title":{"rendered":"L.A. Times columnist, author of ‘The Soloist’ to speak September 29th in APSU Dunn Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – In 2005, Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez strikes an unlikely friendship with Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician with schizophrenia who slept each night on one of skid row\u2019s most dangerous streets.<\/p>\n

Lopez learned Ayers had been a promising violinist, and that he had left the prestigious music program at the Juilliard School because of his struggle with mental illness. The journalist chronicled Ayers’ struggle in several columns at the Los Angeles Times, inspiring readers to send instruments to Ayers through Lopez.<\/p>\n

The friendship that Lopez formed with Ayers eventually helped the musician get off the street, settle into an apartment and find help for his schizophrenia.<\/p>\n

This story since has inspired newspaper columns, a book titled \u201cThe Soloist\u201d and a movie of the same name starring Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Ayers.<\/p>\n

Lopez will share his discovery of Ayers and how their relationship left a profound impact on the writer\u2019s life at 7:00pm, Thursday, September 29th in the Dunn Center at Austin Peay State University. The talk is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow his talk.<\/p>\n

Lopez joined the staff of the Los Angeles Times in May 2001 after four years at Time Inc., where he wrote for Time, Sports Illustrated, Life and Entertainment Weekly.<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a>

Steve Lopez. (Photo by Giles Mingasson)<\/p><\/div>\n

Prior to Time Inc., Lopez was a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Jose Mercury News and the Oakland Tribune. His work has won numerous national journalism awards for column writing and magazine reporting. In addition to \u201cThe Soloist,\u201d Lopez is the author of three novels.<\/p>\n

Lopez\u2019s book and September 29th appearance are part of a reading initiative at APSU called The Peay Read, designed to provide a unifying experience and contribute to the academic experiences for freshmen students. However, the reading program also offers opportunities for sophomore, junior and senior students.<\/p>\n

A committee reviewed several books and chose \u201cThe Soloist\u201d as The Peay Read\u2019s common reading book, with homelessness as the theme. Committee members also have worked with other academic departments to plan activities culminating in Lopez\u2019s keynote address, all supporting the current theme of homelessness. For instance, student organizations have been encouraged to plan and implement campus-wide, theme-based programs related to homelessness. In addition, piggy banks have been distributed to all APSU 1000 First-Year Experience classes to raise money for organizations that support Clarksville\u2019s homelessness population.<\/p>\n

Other examples of The Peay Read student activities and memorabilia include the following:<\/p>\n