On October 24, 2017, Capital sophomore Lindi Cisco got to meet the author she credits with inspiring her read. David Handler, a.k.a. – Lemony Snicket was the featured speaker at this year’s Gerhold Lecture and the machinations of the stories she read in early childhood came to life in the author’s personality.
Lindi, a Business Management major from St. Mary’s Ohio, was in attendance for the lecture and the Q and A in the Bridge of Learning prior to the event. She shared her thoughts on the experience.
“When I was in elementary school, I didn’t like to read. I don’t remember why, but I do know that I always had a hard time finding books that I was interested in. Fortunately, I was introduced to the book, “The Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning,” by Lemony Snicket. Not only did the series pique my interest with its mysterious, terrible happenings, but I also found an interest in reading.”
In addition to his lecture, David Handler spent an hour with students for a Q and A session. That’s where, according to Lindi, Handler became the most animated as his personality came to life.
“He had an exciting and lively personality that showed his true self to us. What an author may write can be very different compared to what he or she sounds like in person and I was intrigued, I really appreciate the fact that he was real, accepting of our questions, and opened up enough to give his readers a new perspective of him.”
To broaden her own perspective, Lindi found some answers to Handler’s unique writing style during the Q and A. One instance is when someone asked Handler why he used dedications in the beginning of his books.
Handler noted that people often skip the dedications, but in his books, they become a mystery. It pays to be attentive, and Handler told his fans, “the real mystery of the world comes from where you are not looking.”
Lindi added, “This is interesting to me because it’s not only true to his books, but also in life. Answers come unexpectedly sometimes, even when you aren’t looking for them.”
Another thing Lindi liked from Handler’s answers was when he shared his own inspirations growing up. He said he always liked strange stories where unexpected things happen. It felt authentic to him and reasoned that since no one has the power to predict what is going to happen in life, why should his readers be able to predict what is going to happen at the end of his books?
Handler’s appearance at Capital gave Lindi a chance to get an inside look at one of her own inspirations. The Gerhold Lecture is designed to bring opportunities like this right to the heart of campus where students like Lindi can meet and learn from artists like Lemony Snicket.