What’s noteworthy about Pollan’s visit is that only last May the university banned Omnivore’s Dilemma from freshman reading lists.  After already buying 4000 copies, the President and Provost cited financial constraints.  Critics of the ban said political pressure from agricultural interests was the real reason for pulling the book.  The Spokesman Review, in an article written last May, quoted Patricia Ericsson, an assistant English professor who recommended Pollan’s best seller as saying “A substantial part of the reason was because of political pressure growing from the book choice.”  The Spokesman article went on to say:

“That political pressure apparently was brought to bear by a member of the board of regents, Harold Cochran, who disapproved of the author’s characterization of agribusiness. Cochran owns and operates a 5,500-acre farm near Walla Walla, is a founding stockholder in the Bank of the West in Walla Walla and is a member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.”

Officials at Washington State University apparently had a change of heart.  They later allowed Omnivore’s Dilemma back onto the reading list and have invited Pollan himself to speak next Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Beasley Coliseum.  Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of Mr. Pollan from 3:00–4:00 p.m. in the CUB Auditorium.