NYT bestselling author to talk ‘adulting’ at Wright State event

What does it mean to be an adult?

Kelly Williams Brown, an advertising copywriter who has become a best-selling author and a life coach for millennials, will talk about just that as she kicks off “Life After Wright State 2017,” a series of events to support graduating students as they transition to alumni.

>> MORE: 7 ways to 'adult' better, from Kelly Williams Brown

Brown will speak at Wright State on Wednesday, March 8, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room.

Brown’s New York Times best-seller, “Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy (ish) Steps,” is designed to help 20-somethings navigate the slippery path to adulthood.

“We’re really excited to be able to bring Kelly in and have her talk about what it really means to be a grown-up in what we believe to be a really fun and charismatic way,” said Nick Warrington, WSU Life After Wright State Facilitator.

Brown, who lives in Portland, Oregon, has spoken at universities across the country, at NASA and was invited to the White House to facilitate a conversation about student loans with President Obama.

“I read her book ‘Adulting’ and it is hilarious,” said Assistant Director of Alumni Marketing & Communications Nicole Craw. “It’s funny things -- how to tackle a budget, how to do your taxes, why you should clean your kitchen, how to be a good roommate -- but in a funny way that is really engaging.”

“No matter how old you get, you might never really be an adult. But this kind of helps you along the way,” Craw continued.

Brown’s work has been featured on “The Today Show” and in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Esquire, The Boston Globe, Fast Company and many more. Her TEDx Talk, “I’m a Millennial, and I am a Monster,” was a TED.com editor’s pick of the week.

The event at Wright State this Wednesday is free and open to the public. The office of Alumni Relations strongly encourages anyone to come and listen to Kelly discuss and shed some humorous light on what it means to “adult.”

“What it means to ‘become an adult’ is changing,” Warrington said. “Think: 20 or 30 years ago, being an adult meant you bought your own house, it meant you got married, bought your own car and had children. I would argue that that’s not the case anymore,” he said. “The younger generation is not doing things in the chronological order that our grandparents did. This book sheds light that it’s okay not to follow that norm and that nobody is really following that norm.”

Doors to the Apollo Room in the Student Union open at 7 p.m. There will be a question and answer panel following Brown’s talk, as well as a book signing. Those interested in attending should note that parking will be free in Lot 4 and in the visitor’s lot in front of the Student Union.