Event Details
From Murder to Atonement–Confronting My Son’s Killer with Colum McCann and Diane Foley
Join us for a conversation with National Book Award-winner Colum McCann as he is joined by Diane Foley, the inspiration behind the heartbreaking book American Mother.
American Mother is the story of a mother who, in the course of confronting her son’s killer, gets to the elemental heart of violence and forgiveness. Diane Foley is the mother of Jim, a freelance journalist captured and beheaded by ISIS in 2014, an image that became one of the most iconic of the 21st century. Seven years later, Diane gets the chance to spend three days with the murderer of her son in a Virginia courthouse, inspiring her to tell her life story. What unfolds is one of the most compelling narratives in recent literary history, channeled into searing reality by New York Times bestselling author Colum McCann, who brings us on a journey of strength, resilience, and radical empathy.
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Can’t make it? A recording of this program will be available here.
About the Authors
Colum McCann is the author of seven novels, three collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and he has been the recipient of many international honors, including the U.S. National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish Arts Academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts. His work has been published in over 40 languages. He is the President and co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organization, Narrative 4. He is the Thomas Hunter Writer in Residence in Hunter College, in New York, where he lives with his wife Allison and their family. His most recent novel, Apeirogon, became an immediate New York Times best-seller and won several major international awards.
Diane M. Foley is the mother of five children, including American freelance conflict journalist James W. Foley. She founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF) in September 2014, less than a month after his public execution. Diane is currently serving as the President and Executive Director of JWFLF. Since 2014, she has led JWFLF efforts to fund the start of Hostage U.S. and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety, ACOS. In 2015, she actively participated in the National Counterterrorism Center hostage review which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-30. This directive re-organized US efforts on behalf of Americans taken hostage abroad into an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and a White House Hostage Response Group. Previously, Diane worked first as a community health nurse and then as a family nurse practitioner for 18 years. She received both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.
Book Release Information
American Mother is expected to release in March 2024. Place the book on hold here.
This event will be conducted online and is free of charge. Registration and internet access are required to attend. Register at the link above. Virtual access link will be emailed prior the presentation.
Permission to present a program on behalf of the Virtual Library or in Library facilities is not an endorsement by the Library. This program is protected by copyright law; recording in any manner, without written agreement from the presenter, is strictly prohibited.
Event Information
When: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 — 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: Monmouth County Library-Headquarters, Manalapan (map)
For more information click here: https://jamesfoleyfoundation.org/books/american-mother/
