In her upcoming book, Poster Child: A Memoir, Emily Rapp takes the reader from rural Wyoming to South Korea to Ireland with her story of growing into adulthood with the challenge of a physical disability.

Rapp will be reading excerpts from the book at 8 tonight in 273 Willard, as the last writer of the semester for the Red Weather Reading Series.

"It's really exciting because Penn State has such a good reputation," Rapp said. "It will be fun to meet students who want to become writers."

The main theme of her book is how society views the human body, Rapp said. She addresses the need for perfection in the human form using her own experiences with her artificial leg.

Rapp, who is in her mid-30s, said she grew up quickly as she had to learn to adapt and cope with her physical limits.

She said some of her fondest memories, and the easiest parts to write for her book, were of her childhood.

"My brother and I used to get into all kinds of ridiculous trouble," she said. "I wanted to do the things that all kids do -- and my parents let me."

Rapp said she did not always receive acceptance from people living in South Korea, and the hardest section for her to write was one about her time in Seoul, South Korea, as a Fulbright scholar.

"I had a mini breakdown," she said. "I had never felt so disabled."

She said friends had warned her that people with disabilities were looked upon differently in South Korea, but the treatment she received affected her so much that she had to quit.

"It was hard because it had been part of my shtick, that I was disabled but I never quit on something," she said. "Before Korea, I had lived my life as a disabled person without really ever thinking about it."

Rapp said people without disabilities would also be able to relate to her book.

"It's about feeling different and awkward," Rapp said. "I think everyone can relate to that, especially people in their late teens and early 20s."

Daniel Pinkerton, co-coordinator of the Red Weather Reading Series, said the reading is geared toward undergraduate students.

"Emily is a younger writer," Pinkerton said. "It's easier for students to relate their own experiences to hers."

Cindy Clem, a series co-coordinator, said students should attend the reading just for the experience. She said it is good exposure for students who are not used to hearing reading out loud.

"I'd say it's like attending an art show or a dance recital -- it's hard to pinpoint the benefits, but there's a good chance that you will enjoy it," Clem said. "It will give you something interesting to talk about on your next date."

Rapp said she wants the book to change people's views on disabilities.

She said most people are only exposed to the extraordinary stories about triumphant disabled athletes, but they are the exception, not the rule.

"This isn't a story about sports stars," she said. "This is a human story about a normal person living with a disability; a coming-of-age story with a twist."

The book, which will not come out until 2007, is still a work in progress.

Rapp said she is excited for the reading because she should gain some good feedback on the book.

"Sometimes I just want to throw [the manuscript] out the window," she said.

"With a memoir, it's tough deciding what is really interesting to the audience and what is only interesting to me, so I'm looking forward to the students' reactions," she added.

Rapp said students should not worry about the reading being long and boring.

"I love to read," she said.

"But I'll only read for about a half-hour, so I'll have time for a question-and-answer period," she added.