Author John Green to visit KU to kick off 2025-26 KU Reads program

LAWRENCE — A Lawrence campus visit from award-winning author John Green will be among the first events of the fall semester as the University of Kansas adopts his title, “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” as the 2025-26 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience selection.  

“An Evening with John Green” will include a hosted conversation with the author, followed by an audience Q&A, at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Lied Center of Kansas. A book signing will begin at 8:30 p.m. The event will be free of charge, with tickets available to KU students starting Aug. 18 at the Lied Center box office. Tickets will be available for the general public starting Aug. 22. 

The book’s collection of essays explores various aspects of the human experience while illustrating the interconnectivity of life and prompting readers to think critically about the world around them. Surveying a wide range of familiar topics, the author employs a five-star rating system, thereby “reviewing” what it means to be human in the modern era.  

KU Libraries Common Book Librarian Samantha Greeson said the book serves as an entry point to inspire curiosity and generate enthusiasm for scholarly inquiry about research topics in any field or discipline. Throughout the fall and spring semesters, the program will provide ample opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to come together for engaged discussion and discovery, both in the classroom and beyond.  

“By connecting individual experience to broader academic discourse, readers will be encouraged to bring their own stories into dialogue with scholarly perspectives from across the university, fostering the kind of shared intellectual journey that can unite a campus community in meaningful conversation,” said Tracey LaPierre, KU Reads Advisory Board member and associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Sociology. 

“The Anthropocene Reviewed” became the top choice for 2025-26 after an extensive review process conducted by a KU Reads Selection Committee and the KU Reads Advisory Board, each consisting of students, faculty, staff and partners from KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities and Academic Affairs. 

Faculty and staff who are considering teaching the book in the fall or next spring, or developing related programming for students, may request a copy via a webform found on the KU Reads webpage. Teaching materials and ideas for curricular adoption will be available on the KU Reads website this summer, in addition to other related KU Reads programming. Student copies of the book will be available in August. 

For more information, please visit the KU Reads webpage.