The following readings will be at City Lights Bookstore in downtown Sylva.
“Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Floods” — Featured poets from this anthology of more than 95 writers will read at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. Edited by Hilda Downer, the collection reflects on Hurricane Helene’s devastation, exploring loss, resilience, and the enduring spirit of Appalachian communities.
Anna Krome-Lukens, “Strong State, Weak Links: Eugenics and the Southern Politics of Welfare” — Krome-Lukens will discuss her new book at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. The book examines North Carolina’s eugenics program, which forcibly sterilized at least 5,700 people between 1927 and 1977, and explores how white reformers, social workers, politicians, and activists promoted eugenics while shaping the Southern welfare state before and during the New Deal.
The readings are free and open to the public. For more information, visit citylightsnc.com or call 828.586.9499.