Deborah Blum, celebrated author of The Poisoner’s Handbook and The Poison Squad, will return to Athens, where her investigative journalism career began, for a discussion about the science and safety of food.
The Sept. 23 event, which has been designated as a University of Georgia Signature Lecture, will serve as Blum’s induction into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, as well as the annual Food, Power, and Politics Lecture sponsored by the Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.
Raised in Athens, Blum began her career as a reporter for The Red & Black, during her time as a UGA student. She earned a master’s degree in environmental journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
As a reporter for the Sacramento Bee, Blum wrote an acclaimed series of articles exploring the ethical conflicts between animal researchers and animal rights activists. The series, entitled “The Monkey Wars,” earned her a Pulitzer Prize, and she expanded her work to be published as her first book. Later, her best-sellers The Poisoner’s Handbook and The Poison Squad were adapted into PBS documentaries. Blum retired earlier this year as the director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she founded the digital science magazine Undark.
At the free Sept. 23 lecture, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the UGA Special Collections Building, Blum will discuss the history of food safety regulations in the United States and how current trends impact local and state-level oversight. She will be joined by Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, director of UGA’s Center for Food Safety. A reception will follow the event in the exhibition hall.
In addition to the Russell Library, the event is co-sponsored by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. This event is free and open to the public. Please contact Meredith Young at meredithbyoung@uga.edu at least seven days in advance if you require accommodations.