We are thrilled to have James Patterson return to Winston-Salem to celebrate his memoir, James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of my Life. This event is presented with support from Wake Forest University.

Tickets include a presigned hardcover copy of James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of My Life. 

Additional books will be available for purchase at the event.  Please note there will not be a public booksigning at this event.

Covid Protocols: Masks are encouraged for this event. Protocols are subject to change per venue, city, and state conditions and requirements. Attendees will receive updated information several days before the event with final event protocols.

About James Patterson 

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. His enduring fictional characters and series include Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, Maximum Ride, Middle School, and Ali Cross, along with such acclaimed works of narrative nonfiction as Walk in My Combat Boots, E.R. Nurses, and his autobiography, James Patterson by James Patterson. Bill Clinton (The President Is Missing) and Dolly Parton (Run, Rose, Run) are among his notable literary collaborators. For his prodigious imagination and championship of literacy in America, Patterson was awarded the 2019 National Humanities Medal. The National Book Foundation presented him with the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, and he is also the recipient of an Edgar Award and nine Emmy Awards. 

About James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of my Life

How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the most successful storyteller in the world?

• On the morning he was born, he nearly died. 
• Growing up, he didn’t love to read.  That changed.
• He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell.  
• While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid.”
• He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party.
• He’s only been in love twice.  Both times are amazing.
• Dolly Parton once sang “Happy Birthday” to James over the phone.  She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James. 
• Three American presidents have invited him to golf with them. 

How did a boy from small-town New York become the world’s most successful writer? How does he do it? He has always wanted to write the kind of novel that would be read and reread so many times that the binding breaks and the book literally falls apart. As he says, “I’m still working on that one.”

About Wake Forest University

Founded in 1834, Wake Forest University is a private university located in Winston-Salem, N.C., with more than 8,000 students. The undergraduate population of more than 5,400 hails from 47 states and more than 45 foreign countries. Ours is a vibrant and diverse academic community in which students pursue learning in one or more of the 45 majors, 60 minors and additional programs we offer within our six colleges and schools. In September 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wake Forest as one of the top 30 National Universities for the 26th consecutive year. In addition to the overall standing of 28th place, Wake Forest stands at 24th for Best Value. Learn more by visiting wfu.edu.