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Author Daren Dean and journalist Aarik Danielsen will discuss the research and writing of Dean's new historical novel, "The Black Harvest: A Novel of the Civil War." Set in Missouri, this wild and compelling tale captures a complex era of violence, outlaws and near anarchy. Adults. Please register to get a Zoom link. The presentation will be recorded for later viewing.
Join author Daren Dean and the Columbia Daily Tribune arts editor Aarik Danielsen for a virtual discussion about the research and writing of Dean’s new historical novel, "The Black Harvest: A Novel of the Civil War." Dean will consider the difference between writing about the sanctioned violence of this period versus "gorenography," or the meaning of depicting violence in realistic fiction.
In "The Black Harvest," young Ashby Marchbanks finds himself disillusioned with the regular army in Missouri after it suffers a crushing defeat at Wilson’s Creek. Forced to take the loyalty oath and return home to Howard County, near Glasgow, he attempts to follow in his father’s footsteps as a pastor. It’s not long before Charles Jennison’s "Red Legs" come to call, and, after hanging his father and terrorizing his family, the guerrillas shoot Marchbanks and leave him for dead.
Marchbanks falls in with the infamous Captain Quantrill’s bushwhackers, becomes well acquainted with Frank James and his younger brother Jesse, and eventually fights under the leadership of Captain William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson. Theirs is a war for survival on the bloody border where violence between Kansas and Missouri began long before Fort Sumter. This wild and compelling tale captures a complex era of violence, outlaws and virtual anarchy.
Daren Dean is the author of the novel "Far Beyond the Pale" and the short story collection "I'll Still Be Here Long After You're Gone." His fourth book, "This Vale of Tears," is forthcoming in fall 2021. His work has been featured in HuffPost, Ploughshares online, Kirkus Reviews, Bloom and others. In addition, he was recently nominated for two Pushcart Prizes in short fiction. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Currently, he is an assistant Professor of English at Lincoln University of Missouri.
Aarik Danielsen is a Midwestern journalist, essayist and poet. Aarik has covered the arts for more than a decade at the Columbia Daily Tribune. He writes a weekly column, The (Dis)content, Wednesdays at Fathom Magazine. His bylines have appeared in Image Journal, Plough, The Blue Mountain Review and more.
Adults. Please register to receive a Zoom link. The program will also be recorded for later viewing on our YouTube channel.
Please note that this program is taking place online or via broadcast rather than at a physical location. Please see the event description for details on where to view or tune in.
