An award-winning journalist will take a look at what our lives would have been like if John F. Kennedy hadn’t been shot.

Jeff Greenfield will discuss his book, “If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History,” as part of West Virginia University’s David C. Hardesty Jr. Festival of Ideas on March 26. His talk begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. It is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

One of America’s most respected political analysts, Greenfield takes a thought-provoking look at Kennedy’s presidency—after November 22, 1963. What if Kennedy were not killed that fateful day? What would have happened to his life, his presidency, his country, his world? Based on memoirs, histories, fresh reporting and his own knowledge of the players, Greenfield looks at the tiny hinges of history and the extraordinary changes that would have resulted if they had gone another way.

Greenfield has spent more than 30 years on network television, including CNN, ABC News, CBS, and as an anchor on PBS’ Need to Know. He is known for his quick wit and savvy insight into politics, history, media and current events.

A five-time Emmy winner, Greenfield’s reporting has taken him to locales around the world—from South Africa, to Japan, to Europe—but he is principally known for his coverage of domestic politics. Greenfield has served as anchor booth analyst or floor reporter for every national political convention since 1988 and has reported on virtually every important domestic political story in recent decades. He is currently a columnist for Yahoo! News and has authored or co-authored 12 books.

A native of New York City, Greenfield graduated with honors from both the University of Wisconsin and Yale Law School.

This event is co-sponsored by the Charleston Gazette.

Festival of Ideas is an annual speaker series that hosts high-profile intellectuals and public figures—along with WVU’s own academic superstars—in a series of lectures that engage the university community in important issues of the day. It’s organized by the Office of University Events.

For more information, visit festivalofideas.wvu.edu and follow the conversation on Twitter at #wvuideas.

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ld/03/10/14

CONTACT: Liz Dickinson, Office of University Events
304-293-8025, liz.dickinson@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.