Author/screenwriter Jonathan Tropper will give a free talk at EMU

Posted on Tue, Feb 1, 2011 : 10:13 a.m.

NOTE: This event has been postponed due to weather.

New York Times best-selling author and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper will deliver a free, open-to-the-public lecture at on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eastern Michigan University Student Center (900 Oakwood in Ypsilanti), ballroom B, followed by a book signing.

Tropper will speak about his best-selling book, “This is Where I Leave You,” ranked as one of the best novels 2009 by Amazon.com, National Public Radio, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post.

The book features a dysfunctional Jewish-American family that gathers for its patriarch’s funeral and the touching and funny interactions that mark their shiva, the weeklong period of mourning. Tropper, known for his serious yet hilarious characters, says his goals are to move his audience while also making them laugh.

Tropper, 40, of New York, also will talk about his leap from author to screenwriter, and his work on the adaptation of comedian Steve Martin’s novel, “The Pleasure of My Company,” for 20th Century Fox, along with his adaptation of “Harvey,” a 1950 film about a man whose best friend is a large invisible rabbit, directed by Steven Spielberg.

Plus, in addition to his current book, Tropper also has written, “How to Talk to a Widower,” “Everything Changes,” and “The Book of Job.”

The lecture is part of an ongoing Jewish lecture series that also features a new Jewish Education First History Gallery in the EMU Student Center.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.