Jeannette Walls, MSNBC .com columnist and bestselling author ofThe Glass Castle: A Memoir,will address graduates at West Virginia Universitys December Convocation.

The former reporter for New York Magazine, Esquire and USA Today has been tapped to deliver the keynote address at the ceremony set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at the WVU Coliseum.

Born in Phoenix in 1960, Walls had an unconventional and, at times, tragic upbringing with a mother who was a frustrated artist and a father who was an alcoholic. InThe Glass Castle,she recalls a tough childhood that included sleeping in cardboard boxes and rifling through trash cans at school looking for food.

At 10, Walls and her family moved to Welch, W.Va., where they lived in a small, three-room house that didnt have indoor plumbing. The family used rainwater and heated the home with scavenged coal.

The day after she finished 11 th grade, Walls got on a bus and moved to New York to live with her older sister. There she made a new life for herself, working several part-time jobs and graduating from Barnard College with honors.

Despite her difficult childhood, Walls said her parents gave her love and inspired optimism, hard work and courage. The title of the book refers to the hope that illuminated the darkness of her childhoodthe perfect glass castle that her father promised to build her.

Jeannette Wallsstory is truly inspirational,said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr.It stresses the importance of self-determination, courage and persistence. It also speaks to the transforming power of education to profoundly change a life.

Walls has appeared on theTodayshow, CNN andPrimetime Live.The Glass Castlewas a New York Times bestseller and is being turned into a movie by Paramount.

Information for graduates and guests

• Each year, about 1,000 WVU seniors graduate in December. While not a formal commencement, convocation honors those students who complete their degree requirements in mid-year. Degrees are conferred during May commencement.

• Degree candidates will wear traditional caps and gowns. These items are available for purchase at the WVU Bookstore, 304-293-7467.

• To participate in the ceremony, graduates are required to register online atwww.wvu.edu/dec_convocation/registration.htm. Although reservations for December graduates are required, no actual tickets will be distributed for Convocation.

• Coliseum gates open for students and their guests at noon. All University parking lots will be open to the public during the weekend of December Convocation. Parking isavailable at the WVU Coliseum. Early arrival is recommended.

• Degree candidates must report to the upper level lobby of the coliseum (above the Red Gate) no later than 12:30 p.m. University marshals will line up the schools and colleges in assigned areas. Graduates will be part of a formal processional and will be seated in a reserved area of the Coliseum.

• Special seating is available for guests with disabilities and those requiring the services of the interpreters on the platform. To reserve special seating, call the Office of Disability Services at 304-293-6700 by noon Friday, Dec. 9.

• For details about individual school and college events, graduates and their guests should contact the deans office of the respective school or college.

• For more information about the University-wide ceremony, e-mail decemberconvocation@mail.wvu.edu or call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 304-558-3480. On the Net:http://www.wvu.edu/dec_convocation/