The woman who brought the frank talk of four 30-something New Yorkers into the living rooms of women across America is coming to share her dating dilemmas with Northwestern students.

Candace Bushnell, whose life was the inspiration for her own bestselling book, “Sex and the City,” which inspired the HBO television series of the same name, will speak at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on Oct. 20.

Her speech, “Sex and the City: An Honest Look at Love and Relationships,” will be sponsored by the Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council as part of NU Perspectives, a lecture series designed to educate the greek community about diversity. But both organizations hope Bushnell’s high profile will also appeal to non-greek students, said Kyle Pendleton, associate director for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

“We were looking for a speaker to attract an audience and appeal to a large portion of the campus population,” Pendleton said. “She knows about being young, single and in relationships.”

Although Bushnell is best known for “Sex and the City,” she also has written for publications such as Self, Mademoiselle, and The New York Observer. Her latest book, “Trading Up,” follows a lingerie model dealing with immorality in the fashion industry.

Bushnell’s work deals with the issues women face in today’s society, and some students said they can relate to the theme.

Erin Birk, president of Panhel, said Bushnell’s alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex and the City,” is very popular among NU students.

“We all knew the name instantly,” said Birk, a Weinberg senior. “We knew it would have mass appeal.”

The $5 tickets for the event will be available at the Norris Box Office the week of Oct. 13, although organizers are unsure on the exact date. As with all NU Perspectives events, a portion of the tickets will be set aside for greek students.

Some people speculated about which gender would dominate the event, and Pendleton said he also thinks the male population of NU also could benefit from Bushnell’s speech.

“We are encouraging men to come to learn about what it is to be a woman in today’s dating world,” he said. “The fraternity men don’t know (Bushnell) by name, but they know her show.”

But Radu Postelnicu, a Weinberg junior, recalled his initial reaction when a female friend forced him to watch the Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning show.

“It portrays life in a way that doesn’t exist,” Postelnicu said. “It’s definitely a show geared toward women. Men can’t relate.”

Still, Erin Neal, Panhel’s vice president of programming, said she is optimistic that there will be a mixed-gender turnout.

“Even though the protagonists in her books and show are women, I think men can still relate,” said Neal, a Weinberg senior.