George Hodgman, author of the New York Times best-seller “Bettyville,” will speak twice in St. Joseph. Hodgman will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 at First Christian Church, 927 Faraon Street in St. Joseph, and at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101, on the campus of Missouri Western State University. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Hodgman will discuss growing up gay in rural Missouri, living through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, and caring for an elderly parent.

“Bettyville” is a witty, tender memoir of a son’s journey home to care for his irascible mother – a tale of secrets, silences and enduring love. Hodgman is a veteran magazine and book editor who has worked at Simon & Schuster, Vanity Fair, and Talk magazine. His writing has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Interview, W, and Harper’s Bazaar, among other publications.

The Barnes and Noble Bookstore on campus will have books available before and after each event for a book signing to occur after each event.

Hodgman’s visit to St. Joseph is sponsored by the Missouri Western Department of English and Modern Languages; the Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work; the Missouri Western Pride Alliance; and First Christian Church. Refreshments will be provided by PFLAG.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.