Bryon MacWilliams Shares His New Book

Jennifer Browne, Director of Frostburg Center for Literary Arts, introduced Bryon MacWilliams who read from his new book, The Girl in the Haystack, at a March 7 evening program in the Ort Library. The program was sponsored by the Lewis J. Ort Library, The Department of History, and the Martha T. & Ralph M. Race Western History Lecture Fund. 

Photo Courtesy of Marshall Sandifer

The setting for the book is a rural town in the Ukraine in 1941 immediately after the invasion of Hitler's troops. Local Jews are herded into a ghetto, and a pogrom begins. The principal voice in the book is Lyuba's; she is seven. She recounts the struggles that her family endures for two years while hiding in one of the massive haystacks that  were common on the countryside.

MacWilliams explains that Lyuba has a sympathetic observer who periodically interjects comments and reflections. In the photo below he shows the audience how he identifies this change of voice.

Photo Courtesy of Marshall Sandifer

 MacWilliams explained his concern with authentically telling Lyuba's ordeal and with providing historically accurate facts. Lyuba, who survived the holocaust, lives in the author's New Jersey neighborhood. He answered many questions from the audience and personally signed copies of his book for those in attendance.

Dr. Philip D. Morgan, Guest Lecturer

FSU's Center for Literary Arts, The Department of History and the Lewis J. Ort Library hosted Dr. Philip D. Morgan as guest lecturer on October 26th.

Dr. Morgan addressed a group of 40 students, faculty and community members on "Black Patriots and Enslaved Fugitives in Maryland During the American Revolution." His Power point presentation included excerpts of newspaper articles and advertisements published during the period. In addition to those primary sources his research included pension rolls that identified African-Americans who served as soldiers in the Revolution.

During his 60 minute address, he pointed out how the adjectives and adverbs used to describe Afro-American patriots illustrated that their fellow soldiers learned to respect and appreciate the valor and loyalty they displayed in battle.

Dr. Morgan currently serves as the Harry C. Black Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University.

The Ort Library owns three of his books: Black Experience and the Empire, Colonial Chesapeake Society and Slave Counterpoint: Black Culture in the Eighteenth-Century Chesapeake and Lowcountry.