By Jonathan Weaver
Staff writer
Lori Jakiela, associate professor of English currently on sabbatical, returns to UPG next Thursday and Friday to discuss her book, “Miss New York Has Everything.”

Jakiela has been busy ever since her book hit the bookshelves in January. Between book signings, interviews with local newspapers and library tours across Pennsylvania, “Miss New York Has Everything” is spanning the nation.

Jakiela’s first full-length book, a memoir revolving around her relationship with her father, was five years in the making. Having started her book in 2001, Jakiela says she became the “troll under the stairs,” doing most of her writing in the office situated in her basement.

“Memoir, to me, feels like a hybrid of two things I’ve been doing forever – journalism and poetry,” Jakiela said.

Jakiela also has a collection of poems entitled “The Regulars” that was released in 2001.

As for being compared to and reviewed by a national scale of authors, Jakiela said it is both incredible and terrifying.

Although this is Jakiela’s first One Book, One Community event, it will not be her first time reading at UPG.

One Book, One Community events, which began in the state of Washington, are presented across the country, mostly occurring in public libraries. The goal of One Book, One Community is to build a better community through reading and civic discourse.

UPG started the One Book, One Community event in the summer of 2005. This will be UPG’s third time hosting the event.

Pat Duck, director of the library, said that as of Oct. 4, 30 people have signed up for the event.

Duck said that UPG is lucky to get Jakiela to do a reading. Authors at times will not schedule an event for six months to a year due to their hectic schedules.

For students who wish to one day have their own work published, Jakiela advises that they take advantage of UPG’s talented writing professors and writing courses.

“Publishing can be a very mysterious process,” Jakiela said. “We’re lucky at UPG that many of our writing courses help to de-mystify that for students.”

Jakiela hopes that all who attend One Book, One Community will participate in the discussion generated by her book and also enjoy the event.