SWITCHYARD – Monica Potts
May 10 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Lost Promise and Resilience in Rural America
Editor Ted Genoways sits down with three contributors to the newest issue of Switchyard magazine: Monica Potts, New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Girls; Dean Bakopoulos, whose second novel, My American Unhappiness, was named one of the year’s best novels by the Chicago Tribune, and his third novel, Summerlong, is now in development as a television series; and Michael Croley, the author of Any Other Place: Stories, winner of the James Still Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. All three writers will discuss their essays about the dream of living in small towns, the difficulties rural America faces today, and where they see hope for the future. This event will start at 2:00pm at OKPOP Museum (422 North Main Street).
You can purchase a ticket to this individual event for $10 HERE.
Or this event is included with the purchase of either VIP pass which you can buy HERE.
About The Forgotten Girls:
Growing up gifted and working-class poor in the foothills of the Ozarks, Monica and Darci became fast friends. The girls bonded over a shared love of reading and learning, even as they navigated the challenges of their tumultuous family lives and declining town–broken marriages, alcohol abuse, and shuttered stores and factories. They pored over the giant map in their middle-school classroom, tracing their fingers over the world that awaited them, vowing to escape. In the end, Monica left Clinton for college and fulfilled her dreams, but Darci, along with many in their circle of friends, did not.
Years later, working as a journalist covering poverty, Potts discovered what she already intuitively knew about the women in Arkansas: Their life expectancy had dropped steeply–the sharpest such fall in a century. This decline has been attributed to “deaths of despair”–suicide, alcoholism, and drug overdoses–but Potts knew their causes were too complex to identify in a sociological study. She had grown up with these women, and when she saw Darci again, she found that her childhood friend–addicted to drugs, often homeless, a single mother–was now on track to becoming a statistic.
In this gripping narrative, Potts deftly pinpoints the choices that sent her and Darci on such different paths and then widens the lens to explain why those choices are so limited. The Forgotten Girls is a profound, compassionate look at a population in trouble, and a uniquely personal account of the way larger forces, such as inheritance, education, religion, and politics, shape individual lives.
About Switchyard at Mayfest:
The University of Tulsa (TU), in collaboration with Magic City Books, announces Switchyard at Mayfest, May 8-11 in the Tulsa Arts District. This festival within a festival convenes writers and musicians featured in the latest issue of the award-winning Switchyard magazine to examine, celebrate and reimagine the future of rural America. Switchyard at Mayfest includes six events over three days with 15 speakers, including bestselling authors Bill McKibben, Monica Potts, and Jeff Sharlet, among others. Tickets begin at $10.
“Every election cycle, rural America is oversimplified and reduced to a set of easy cliches,” reflected Switchyard magazine Editor and University of Tulsa Presidential Professor Ted Genoways. “This issue of Switchyard-and accompanying talks at this festival-are intended to present a richer, more complex version of multiple rural Americas.”
Switchyard at Mayfest complements the latest issue of the magazine to present a multifaceted view of rural America that captures the dynamics and intricacies of this under-covered and often misrepresented region. Award-winning journalist C.J. Janovy describes coming of age as a lesbian in Nebraska. New York Times bestselling author Monica Potts documents the shortage of in-home health workers in Upstate New York. Jeff Sharlet, a finalist for this year’s National Book Critics’ Circle Award, explains how the hippie communes of rural Vermont became havens for conspiracy theory and hate. Bill McKibben, considered the leading voice on climate change, writes about how farmers and ranchers across the Farm Belt are joining the climate fight.
The alignment of the Switchyard magazine issue launch with Mayfest is no accident. University of Tulsa President Brad R. Carson said he welcomes the opportunity to bring new content to Tulsa’s beloved Mayfest tradition.
“Art, music, and literature are the soul of society; they reflect our deepest emotions, challenge our perceptions, and inspire our greatest achievements. At The University of Tulsa, we believe in providing a platform for writers and artists to share their unique voices with the world,” said Carson. “By fostering these opportunities, we not only enrich our cultural landscape but also empower individuals to contribute to a diverse and vibrant tapestry of human experience.”
Switchyard at Mayfest tickets range in price from $10 to $20 per talk, per person. TU offers an all-event VIP pass for $100, which also includes access to VIP areas of Mayfest as well as tickets to two concerts at Cain’s Ballroom: Waxahatchee on Wednesday, May 8, and The Great Divide on Saturday, May 11. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit switchyardmag.com or tulsamayfest.org.
