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Join local author Nancy Garruba in conversation with Darlene Meskell.
Rose B. defied mid-century expectations of what a woman could be and do. A devoted wife and mother, she was also the family’s main breadwinner. Exemplary, yes—but in private, Rose endured the abuse of a charismatic but troubled husband, abuse witnessed by their twin daughters Claire and Frances. Now Rose has died, and Frances, long estranged from the family, returns home to help Claire sort through Rose’s clothes. Claire, a photographer, insists that Frances is their mother’s image and asks her to pose for portraits as Rose, dressed in Rose’s clothes. Frances, eager to force a discussion of their parents’ tumultuous marriage, agrees on one condition: She’ll tell stories as she poses, stories about Rose. Told in two voices—that of the dynamic, conflicted Frances and the tender, diffident Claire—The Vanishing of Rose B. explores the difficulties mothers and daughters encounter in defining themselves within the world and against each other.
Nancy Garruba is a writer, artist, and longtime Mt. Pleasant resident. Her artist’s books—books combining text with images—are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the International Center of Photography, among others. She is a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the DC Commission on the Arts, and of awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Her novel, The Vanishing of Rose B. is her latest release.
Darlene Meskell, with a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University and an MBA from Yale, was a management consultant for an international consulting firm and retired in 2015 as director of Global Government Innovation Services for the US General Services Administration. A member of the first Mount Pleasant Village Board of Directors, she chaired the Communications Committee, and later served as Vice Chair of the Village Program Committee.
The talk will be followed by Q + A and book-signing. Free copies while supplies last, with additional copies available for sale and signing by the author.
AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Author Talk |
