PLAINVILLE, Mass. — Speaking to a packed room of Providence College alumni, families, and young fans at An Unlikely Story bookstore, international bestselling author Jeff Kinney shared personal reflections on his artistic journey, the power of children’s literature, and his growing bond with the Providence Friar community.
The gathering, held on Friday, Oct. 16, was part of the “Friars, Books, & Brews” event hosted in partnership with the Providence College Alumni Association during Homecoming weekend. Attendees gathered at Kinney’s Plainville bookstore and community space to connect with fellow alumni, and hear directly from the author and current Providence College parent.
Kinney, best known as the creator of the globally renowned “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, reflected on the importance of literacy and representation, noting how deeply personal access to books can be for young readers.
“I took me a while to realize that not every kid gets to live in a house full of books,” Kinney said. “When we do philanthropy, we give away books, and the kids just hug the books to their chest because they’re like, ‘I can take this, this is mine’... I didn’t realize at the time what a privilege that was. I didn’t realize that seeing your life reflected back to you is very validating.”
Reflecting on his path to success, Kinney spoke candidly about facing rejection and the necessity of reinventing his artistic style when his early work fell short of his idols.
“If you want to be a writer, a musician, an actor... you’ll get rejected a lot. You have to get used to it,” Kinney said. “I understood that I was a pretty good joke writer, but I wasn’t a very good artist... Since I couldn’t reach the heights of something like Calvin and Hobbes, I needed to simplify my style.”
That decision ultimately led to the creation of his iconic, minimalist character, Greg Heffley, and a visual storytelling format centered on simplicity. “Black and white, in my view, is the only thing that a cartoonist really needs—just the black lines, because cartooning is all about simplicity. You’re trying to use the least amount of information to create the biggest impact,” he explained.
Beyond his career as an author, Kinney highlighted the special sense of connection he and his family have found within the PC community since his son enrolled.
“The second he stepped on that campus, he found his people,” Kinney said of his son, Brant. “The community of Friars is just outstanding... I know that Brant will be a Friar for life.”
The event also highlighted Kinney’s broader community vision for downtown Plainville, including his partnership with fellow PC parent Jeremy Duffy ’93 on the nearby Guild Garden at Plainville Square, bringing together friendship, entrepreneurship, and Friar spirit.
