2023 Dorothy C. Fuqua Lecture
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
7:00-9:00 PM
Beautiful Boy: One family's journey with mental illness and addiction
A Conversation with David and Nicolas Sheff
David Sheff is the author of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, a number-one New York Times bestseller. Beautiful Boy was adapted as a film starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. The book was based on his article, “My Addicted Son,” which appeared in the New York Times Magazine and won a special award from the American Psychological Association for “outstanding contribution to the understanding of addiction.” David followed Beautiful Boy with Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy, also a New York Times bestseller. He is also the author of HIGH: Everything You Want To Know About Drugs, for young adults written with Nic Sheff.
David is joined by his son, Nicolas Sheff. Nic Sheff is the author of two memoirs, including the New York Times best seller Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines and We All Fall Down: Living With Addiction. He has also written several novels for young adults and is a writer, story editor, and co-producer for the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.
Panel Discussion
The conversation with David and Nic will be followed by a panel discussion with experts from Skyland Trail and the Addiction Alliance of Georgia and audience Q&A.
Location
Atlanta History Center
McElreath Hall
130 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Presented in partnership with Addiction Alliance of Georgia
Register to Attend
About the Dorothy C. Fuqua Lecture Series
The goal of this annual event is to amplify the voices of mental health experts and individuals with lived experience to elevate mental health as an issue of importance here in Atlanta and across the country.
The lecture series honors the late Dorothy Chapman Fuqua, former board member and benefactor of Skyland Trail, and is made possible by Duvall and Rex Fuqua and Edwina and Tom Johnson in honor of Mrs. Fuqua.
Past Lectures
2022
"Addressing the Teen Mental Health Crisis"
Keynote: Debra Houry, MD, MPH, Acting Principal Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Director, CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Panelists: Fred Assaf, M.Ed, Head of School, Pace Academy; Emily Anne Vall, PhD, Executive Director, Resilient Georgia; W. Edward Craighead, PhD, ABPP, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University; (moderator) Ray Kotwicki, MD, MPH, DFAPA, Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer, Skyland Trail
2021
"The Weight of Gold"
Panelists: 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist and World Champion figure skater Sasha Cohen; film director-producer Brett Rapkin; sports psychologist Kensa Gunter, PPsy.D., CMPC; and Skyland Trail Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer Raymond J. Kotwicki, MD, MPH, DFAPA
2020
"Managing Anxiety in Anxious Times"
Panelists: Ben Hunter, MD; Raymond J. Kotwicki, MD, MPH, DFAPA; Barbara J. Coffey, MD, MS
2019
"From Tragedy to Treatment: The Path Forward for Suicide Prevention"
Featured Speaker: Former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates
Panelists: Ben Hunter, MD; Dorian Lamis, PhD; Rev. Dr. D. Scott Weimer
2016
“In Our Shoes” at The Carter Center
Panelists: Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, Ms. Julie Hirsch, Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy
2015
“Schumann: Music, Mood Swings & Madness”
Featured Speaker: Richard Kogan, MD, psychiatrist and Julliard-trained concert pianist
2014
“In Our Shoes”
Featured Speakers: comedian Kevin Breel, and author Melody Moezzi
2013
“Mental Illness in America: From Stigma to Strategy”
Moderator: Sanjay Gupta, MD
Panelists: authors Linea & Cinda Johnson and CDC epidemiologist Alex Crosby, MD