The philosophy and creative writing programs in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will present a talk by David Heatley about his new book, Qualification: A Graphic Memoir in Twelve Steps. Open free to the public, the event will be held on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Ciné in downtown Athens.
As a young man in a family battling with personal addictions, Heatley channels his experience in the shadow of multiple 12-step programs such as Overeaters Anonymous and Debtors Anonymous to portray his addiction to the programs themselves.
Qualification, divided into 12 chapters, mimics the jargon and epiphanies of the programs in revealing a compulsive desire to embrace nonexistent problems as a way to cope, conform and eventually recognize his own addiction to recovery programs.
UGA faculty members Aaron Meskin, head of the philosophy department, and Christopher Pizzino, associate professor of English, will join Heatley for a discussion, framing their questions for Heatley from the perspective of literature and from the perspective of philosophy, then inviting participation from the audience.
