Bengal Pause Talk: Journalist Helen Benedict

Helen Benedict is a novelist and award-winning journalist who has written extensively about the experiences of women in the military. Benedict will deliver a campus address, Tuesday, April 8, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. A reception and book signing will follow. 

Benedict will also be the opening speaker at Take Back the Night beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Rockwell Hall.

Benedict's books Sand Queen (2011) and The Lonely Soldier (2009), along with her articles about sexual assault in the military, inspired the award-winning 2012 documentary The Invisible War, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2013. Her writing triggered a landmark lawsuit against the Pentagon on behalf of the victims of military sexual assault and earned the author the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism.

"Helen offers a diverse perspective that sheds light on a very important issue in our society,” said Eileen Merberg, interim director of student life. “She exposed a rape epidemic in the armed forces, investigated the institutions that perpetuated it, and examined its profound personal and social consequences. Her talk will offer the campus an opportunity to explore this critical issue in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.”

Benedict is a professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Her articles and essays have appeared in such publications as the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and the New York Times, to name a few.

This event is co-sponsored by the Student Life, Equity and Campus Diversity, Counseling Center, Continuing Professional Studies/Veteran and Military Services offices; Women and Gender Studies program; Weigel Health Center Health Promotions; the Communication Department; and the Buffalo State Chapter of Student Veterans of America.