“I’m just a woman with a weird childhood,” said Jeannette Walls, award-winning journalist, author and former gossip columnist of Scoop for MSNBC.com. “I’m just a woman with a weird story.”
On Feb, 10, Walls shared her story as the fourth speaker of the 2010-2011 Bryan Series.
President and Professor of Political Science Kent Chabotar introduced Walls by speaking of her accomplishments. “The Glass Castle,” her memoir, spent 100 weeks on The New York Times’ Bestseller List and was listed by Amazon as one of the top ten books of the decade.
Walls’ speech, entitled “Half Broke Horses: Knowing How to Fall,” emphasized the need to share life stories.
“For most of my life, my story was a source of shame for me,” said Walls. “I wrote the first draft (of “The Glass Castle”) in six months and then spent five years rewriting it.”
“The Glass Castle” delves into her childhood, which she spent in extreme poverty. After becoming a gossip columnist, her affluent lifestyle sharply contrasted with her parents’ homelessness.
“For most of my life, my demon was my life – was my past,” said Walls.
The memoir brought closure for Walls. The resentment she held toward her parents lessened dramatically.
“Increased knowledge only leads to increased compassion,” said Walls. “And you stop blaming people.”
Walls was initially afraid of how the memoir would affect her reputation and her job, but she was surprised by the response.
“I saw the world as a place with potential enemies,” said Walls. “Now I see the world as a place with potential friends.”
During Walls’ speech, she explained that if it sounded like she was bragging, she was.
“But I’m not bragging about myself,” said Walls. “I’m bragging about the power of storytelling.”
Walls believes that there is much to be learned from stories, even from events as traumatic as in her life.
“The reason we tell our stories is to tell how we got through the situation,” said Walls.
She recalled a Christmas in her childhood when her father, lacking money to buy presents, offered his children any star they wanted. Walls chose Venus, technically a planet, and it is a treasured memory to her today.
“Everything in life is a blessing and a curse, and it is entirely up to you what you focus on,” said Walls.
Walls said that she felt strengthened by the hardships in her life. While she recognizes her parents’ faults, she also recognizes what they gave her.
“If you get a love of education and self-esteem, you can get through anything,” said Walls, telling how her hardships gave her independence and the ability to push through adversity.
“(Walls) used her experiences in life to synthesize her own philosophy, and that’s what her speech was about,” said sophomore Chelsea Burris.
Part of her philosophy is to promote the sharing of family history, as she has in her second novel, “Half Broke Horses,” about her grandmother, Lily.
“I want people to interview their parents, their grandparents, about their lives,” said Walls.
Before she left the stage, Walls encouraged the audience to share their stories.
“The great gift readers gave me is their stories,” Walls said.