AMES, Iowa -- When journalist and traveler Kelsey Timmerman wanted to know where his clothes came from and who made them, he journeyed from Honduras to Bangladesh to Cambodia to China and back again. Timmerman will discuss what he learned about the gap between the world's clothing producers and consumers in a lecture at Iowa State University.
"Where am I Wearing?" will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. It is free and open to the public.
"Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories and People that Make Our Clothes" is Timmerman's thought-provoking book that introduces readers to the factory workers, their families and way of life. It creates an intimate portrait of the connection between impoverished garment workers' standards of living and the all-American lifestyle. From a 20-something T-shirt maker in Honduras to a single mother of two in Bangladesh, Timmerman humanizes the issues of globalization and provokes readers to check their tags and think about where their clothing comes from.
In his second book, "Where Am I Eating? An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy," Timmerman confronted slavery in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry and explored Fair Trade coffee farming in Columbia, as he uncovered the realities of the global food industry that is supporting the American diet.
An acclaimed public speaker and frequent keynoter, Timmerman has lectured on travel and globalization around the work. His books have been featured on NPR and in numerous publications, including Time, Financial Times, Harper's, U.S. News and World Report and The Christian Science Monitor.
Timmerman's lecture is hosted by the University Honors Program and co-sponsored by the World Affairs Series and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Student Body.
More information on ISU lectures is available at www.lectures.iastate.edu, or by calling 515-294-9935.
