December 19, 2005

The University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum is proud to announce the second event of its 10th season with author and U.S. Senator from Arizona, John McCain. McCain is renown as one of the most popular and outspoken members of the United States Senate, championing causes that he strongly believes in, regardless of popular opinion. Most Americans also know that in 1967, McCain was shot down over Vietnam and held as a prisoner-of-war in Hanoi for five and a half years, much of it in solitary confinement, earning him a Purple Heart.

He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981, and was first elected to Congress in 1982. He is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate. He and his wife, Cindy, live with their children in Phoenix, Arizona.

Aside from his life as a Senator and veteran and amid much speculation concerning his plans for 2008, McCain is also a father to seven children. It is his personal passion for being a good parent and teacher that inspired him to write Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember (with Mark Salter, Random House).

McCain chooses 35 character traits, such as honesty, cooperation, resilience, humility, and humor, and illustrates each trait with an account of a remarkable historical figure. McCain also speaks openly about his own parenting experiences, and shares moving stories about his mother (still alive at the age of 92) and how she continues to teach him lessons about character to this day.

McCain's stories are vivid and dramatic, appropriate for children and compelling for adults. He believes that our lives and characters are not predestined, but are created by the everyday choices that we make. Even more radically, he emphasizes how character is dependent on our own conscience, and not on the perceptions of others. The book was written with Mark Salter, who has worked on Senator McCain's staff for sixteen years, was hired as a legislative assistant in 1989 and has been the senator's administrative assistant since 1993.

Interviewer at the evening forum will be Robert Siegel, host of NPR's "All Things Considered."

Event & Ticket Information

Monday, December 19, 2005

University of Louisville
University Club Ballroom
Belknap Campus

12:45 - 1:30 p.m. Discussion with Senator John McCain, moderated by Gary L. Gregg, director of the McConnell Center for Political Leadership.

The Kentucky Center
501 West Main Street
Downtown Louisville

5 p.m. Carmichael's book sale and wine and cheese reception provided by Brown- Forman, Lobby

6 p.m. Interview, Senator McCain and Robert Siegel, Bomhard Theatre, set and design by Bittners' (Designing for the Way You Live)

Live taping with WFPL 89.3 and KET, The Kentucky Network, and "The Spoken Word," which will carry the audio version of the event to 39 public radio stations throughout the southeast and 1.1 million listeners.

Master of Ceremonies is Forum Editor Keith Runyon of The Courier-Journal

7 p.m. Q & A with audience

Carmichael's Bookstore will have copies of Senator McCain's new book, Character is Destiny, personally signed by the Senator, available for sale at this event. Due to the Senator's schedule, he will not be able to sign copies on stage after the interview.

8:15 p.m. Dinner with Senator McCain and Robert Siegel, in the Humana Building, 25th floor, hosted by the University of Louisville.

NOTE: The Evening Author Forum event at The Kentucky Center is SOLD OUT. ALL ORIGINAL TICKETS ISSUED WILL BE HONORED. All tickets which read December 14 will be honored on December 19 - for the Bomhard Theatre and for the North Lobby, where the live interview will be televised on a large screen. North Lobby seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

WE URGE PATRONS WHO CANNOT ATTEND ON THE NEW DATE TO RETURN THEIR TICKETS TO THE KENTUCKY CENTER BOX OFFICE FOR A FULL REFUND, ALLOWING OTHERS ON A WAITING LIST TO PURCHASE THOSE RETURNED TICKETS.

Box Office opens at 10 AM - 584-7777.

An unedited, taped version of the event will be made available at The Louisville Free Public Library, St. Matthews/Eline Branch, 3940 Grandview Ave., at 11 a.m.and again at 2 p.m., Friday, December 23. There is no fee involved, but those interested must sign up in advance due to limited seating. Call the library directly at 574-1771 for further information.

WFPL 89.3 FM and Kentucky Educational Television (KET) will record the event for future broadcast, which will be distributed nationally to PBS affiliates nationwide, under the title: "Conversation with John McCain"

NOTE TO TV AND PRINT MEDIA: You may cover Senator McCain live at the University of Louisville at 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. on December 19 in University Club Ballroom, University Club. Access to a live Kentucky Author Forum feed during the evening interview is always available through KET. If interested, please contact Duncan Hart at 859-258-7296.

The Kentucky Author Forum series is produced by Mary Moss Greenebaum and sponsored by the University of Louisville, in partnership with Brown-Forman and The Humana Foundation. Additional donors include: Bittners, Carmichael's Bookstore, The Courier-Journal, KET, Office Furniture USA, "The Spoken Word", WFPL and The Kentucky Center.

624 West Main, Second Floor
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Phone 502.589.2884
Fax 502.589.4334
email KYFORUM@aol.com