February 26, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB Jemison Visiting Lecturer Jack Hitt, author of the travel memoir "Off the Road: A Modern Day Walk Down Pilgrim's Route Into Spain," will present an address by videoconference 4-5:15 p.m. Monday, March 23, at the UAB Education Building, Room 238F, 901 13th St. S.

Seating is limited. Call the UAB Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at 205-934-4652 for more details.

Hitt will discuss the book in which he recounts his efforts to walk 500 miles from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, a pilgrimage that has been walked by millions in the history of Christendom.

Along with his fellow pilgrims, he explored the sites that some believe God once touched, including the fortress said to contain the real secret Adam learned when he bit into the apple and the sites associated with the murderous monks known as Knights Templar. During the trek, Hitt and his companions managed to find the occasional good meal and fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern belief.

Hitt is a contributing editor for Harper's and GQ magazines. He also writes for The New York Times and Outside and Mother Jones magazines. He frequently contributes to the award-winning Chicago Public Radio show "This American Life."