Next week, this year’s Simons Public Humanities Fellow will give a talk on the cross-state trek that, as he puts it, “transformed him from a dyed-in-the-wool denizen of the East Coast into a most unlikely Kansan.”

Henry Fortunato’s talk, “A Long and Winding Walk to Wichita,” is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 26 in the Conference Hall at Hall Center for the Humanities, 900 Sunnyside Ave., on the Kansas University campus. Attendees should RSVP by Thursday to hallcenter@ku.edu or 864-4798. Breakfast will be provided.

Last year, Fortunato trekked 240 miles from his front door in Overland Park to Wichita, encountering creaky old bridges, historic sites, wildlife and colorful people that made for an “amazing — and often amusing — adventure.”

Fortunato, who directed the KU History Project while earning his master’s degree in American history, is director of public affairs at the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library. During his fellowship, Fortunato aims to research his forthcoming book about his Kansas walks.