Beth Macy, the best-selling author of “Factory Man,” will return to the Floyd Arts Center (formerly the Jacksonville Center for the Arts) Oct. 30 to speak about her new book “Truevine.” Her appearance last year brought out a standing-room-only crowd that overflowed an upstairs exhibit space.
Her new book is receiving rave reviews from pre-publication venues such as Kirkus Reviews: “A consummate chronicler of the American South spotlights the extraordinary history of two kidnapped African-American brothers” who performed for years as a circus sideshow act. George and Willie Muse were kidnapped as young boys and were used as sideshow headliners until their mother eventually discovered and rescued them.
This is a story that Macy, as a feature writer for The Roanoke Times, wrote about in a series in 2001. But it took years of research and digging to bring out the remarkable details of the Muse brothers and their mother. The subtitle gives the flavor of the book: “Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South.”
Macy will speak and sign books Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m.
The Floyd Center for the Arts seeks to facilitate artistic endeavors throughout Southwest Virginia. Located in a historic dairy barn in Floyd, the center offers educational opportunities, houses resident artists and offers rotating exhibits. For more information, visit www.jacksonvillecenter.org.
