Getting Ready for Matthew Desmond’s Visit

The Author Event for Go Big Read is fast approaching. In just over a week, Matthew Desmond himself will be on campus to speak about the themes in his book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, along with his continuing work on the housing and eviction issues facing the United States today.

Evicted follows the stories of eight families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the course of a year and a half as they struggle find housing, pay rent, and provide for themselves and their loved ones. According to Desmond, the number of formal evictions that occur each year has soared over the last sixty years. These numbers become even higher when one factors in other “forced moves” that result from other circumstances that tenants don’t consider to be evictions. These involuntary relocation has severe consequences not just for the family itself, but also the larger community.

Desmond’s talk will take place next Tuesday, November 1, in Shannon Hall in Memorial Union at 7:00 pm.

If you are planning on driving in for the event, we recommend the public parking ramp at Lake and State streets for easy access to the venue (1.5 block walk). For other parking locations, please consult the campus map. If you are dropping off or planning on parking very close to the Union, make sure to use Park St. – Langdon St. is closed for construction.

For accessible access to Shannon Hall, please enter Memorial Union from either the west entrance on Langdon Street or the northwest entrance on Park Street, near Helen C. White hall and the beginning of the Union Terrace.

Also, please remember that Memorial Union’s east wing is currently under construction. For more information on how this may impact your evening, please see here.

Tickets for the event sold out at record speed at the time of release – all tickets are currently sold out. However, there are some fun alternatives to still be a part of the author visit event:

1. Stand-by line – There will be a standby line at Memorial Union the night of the event should people still wish to attend. Entrance to the event will depend on venue capactity and unclaimed seats.
2. Live webstream – For those who are unable to attend in person, Desmond’s talk will be livestreamed via a link on the main page of the Go Big Read website. You may enjoy Desmond’s talk from the comfort of home!
3. Live stream watch events –  There will be a handful of watch events streaming the live feed around campus and in the Madison area on the night of November 1. Locations include Madison Central Library, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and College Library, to name a few. For more information on these watch events or to find one near you, please visit our events calendar.
4. Watch online– A recording of the event will be uploaded on our site in the hours following the event for anyone who may have missed the livestream.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the event or any of the watch alternatives via email.

By Morgan Sederburg