The Quadrangle sat down with Patterson for an exclusive press room interview.
BRIAN HATTON / COURTESY
Grace Cardinal, Editor-in-Chief
James Patterson ‘69 returned to his alma mater on Tuesday for an event with students entitled “Why I’m Investing Big in Manhattan: An Evening with James Patterson.” The Quadrangle sat down with Patterson for an exclusive interview to discuss his return to campus, the new James Patterson Honors Program and how he hopes to help students from all backgrounds and interests find success in their future professional endeavors.
The Quadrangle: How does it feel to return to your alma mater and have the opportunity to speak to hundreds of current Manhattan students? For you, what is the most rewarding part of returning?
James Patterson: Here’s the big thing where I’d really love your help, which is getting the word out about this thing, which I think can help the school. A lot of times in honors programs, you go and you’ll get to learn a lot about chemistry, and you’ll get into grad [school], become a Ph.D… This is not that. This is about preparing you to go out and deal with the real world, which is getting harder and harder and harder. So the students that are going to get involved in this program, they’re going to learn to be better speakers, they’re going to be learning to be better writers, they’re going to learn to have more confidence. They’re going to learn about…here’s what a corporate lawyer actually does on a daily basis. Here’s what a trial lawyer actually does. Here’s what it’s like. Here’s the real thing. So you really feel that you understand it better than you did. You’re getting prepared…Another piece of it is, if you want to be, this is a school where you will be seen. In other words, we’re there for you. We’re going to know that this human being exists here, and we’re interested in that…We want to make sure that the reputation of this school out in the world matches the reality. It’s a very good school. It’s always been good academically. It’s always been good at preparing students for what goes on. It prepared me. I had this ridiculous dream. I want to be a writer. How absurd was that, and I stuck with it, stuck with it, stuck with it. I won an Edgar, actually, when I was 27…I won, and then when I got up there, my whole speech was, ‘I guess I’m a writer now’, which didn’t feel real. But the book got published, and I won an award. Wow, I must be a writer. And that’s the confidence thing I didn’t have. But once again, with this program, hopefully we’re going to help people that come out of here with that kind of confidence.
TQ: As a student of the liberal arts myself, I’ve noticed both at MU and on a larger national scale that less time and money seems to be funneling into liberal arts curriculums than in years past. What observations have you made about this, and how do you feel that your program contributes to valuing the liberal arts?
JP: Well, I don’t know. I hope it will. I think there are a lot of pieces. One, I think it’s really useful that business students here, engineering students here, get a background in literature. I think it really broadens people if it’s taught correctly, if it’s taught well…The best course I ever had when I was at Vanderbilt, I went up to a professor, and I said, here’s 30 novels that I haven’t read that I’m dying to read. Can we do a course around that? And we picked out about 12 or 15 and that was the course…most students would go like, ‘there’s my dream course. I get to read these books that I always want to read anyway’…But I think it’s particularly useful for pre-med [students] as well, that they did take some liberal arts courses. …Because doctors, there are a lot of them, they tend to be scientists, and they need as much compassion and [to be] in touch with bedside manner. They need bedside manner. And [for] some of them, the liberal arts can help the bedside manner side of it. So that would be a useful part…We have a thing with the University of Florida, the percentage of kids reading at grade level in this country is like 47%, something like that, which is a disgrace. The University of Florida has a program that gets it up into the low 80s, and it’s tested right now in Florida, and we’re helping to finance it, it’s in about 20% of Florida. Florida now is number one in the country in Black kids reading at grade level, and number one in Latino kids reading at grade level. And a lot of it has to do with that program. This year, it’s going to go up to 60% of Florida, and it’s going to make a big difference there…If the objective is to get them [kids] reading, give them books that turn them on. Don’t turn them off. A lot of these programs, they give them books that turn them off… Let’s stop turning people off. Turn them on. Turn them on to history.
TQ: As a national conversation continues about the war between ChatGPT and larger AI with critical thinking, especially in educational settings, how do you feel that your program is pushing students to value critical thinking skills and all that comes along with them?
JP: Here’s the best thing I’ve heard about AI. The Eagles, that Rock Band, I can’t remember the wild man in that band…[but] they asked him about the effect of AI on music, and he said, listen, until AI can go out, wreck a hotel room and throw the television into the swimming pool, I’m not going to worry about AI. So the point being, that until AI can really do the crazy stuff that humans can dream up, it’s just too early to say anything.
TQ: We are a fairly small school both nationally and compared to others in the New York City area. How do you feel this program is going to help us meet and exceed the standards set by other, larger universities that have more funding, programs, etc.?
JP: Columbia is a great school, with some issues. NYU is a great school that’s kind of nasty. This is a great school. In the metropolitan area, you want to be in New York City, you don’t have a lot of choices. And this is a great one. And a lot of people, they’re not considering it right now, which [means] we need to get the word out more. This program will help a little bit, maybe more than a little bit. Maybe with recruiting, it could be useful. Because I think it’ll be attractive, it’s different, and that’s cool. Different is useful if it’s good different. And I think this is a good different.
TQ: Each year at graduation, you gift students with a moral compass. How has the philosophy you share with each year’s graduating seniors informed your program for underclassmen?
JP: The thing about the moral compass is it’s just kind of a neat idea. Why the hell not? It’s a nice idea, and it’s a pretty nice compass. It’s gold, so theoretically, you wouldn’t throw it away, although there’s probably five or six out there, wherever. And then at some point, you’re a lawyer or something, and you’re thinking about, I’m doing some stuff I’m not crazy about. And you look at the moral compass, and it goes, that’s kind of not the way I should be doing it, I should be thinking it through or with your family. It’s just a reminder about morality, ethics, bringing that to the table as much as you can. And once again, in terms of this tough world out there, the morals and ethics are kind of taking a back seat.