When the Rivers Flowed:

In the early 20^th century, Knoxville attracted many young people from Appalachia. Two of them were Earl Layman, a Sevier County native who craved town life, and Marie Little, who had evolved from a tenant-farmer’s daughter into a New Woman of the 1920’s. Months before the 1929 stock market crash, the two met and began married life in Knoxville. These ordinary people who faced the extraordinary events of their time are the focus of a new nonfiction book, When the Rivers Flowed: An Ambitious Hillbilly and a Southern Flapper Discover Knoxville, Tennessee. In her presentation, author Marilyn Mascaro will discuss some of the city’s most interesting residents, as well as the era’s evolving role of women and its ongoing prejudice against Appalachia.

About the Speaker:

Marilyn Mascaro has published poetry, essays and narrative nonfiction. As an Associate Professor of English at Roane State Community College, she taught composition and American Literature. A native of Knoxville, Mascaro has a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Tennessee.

The program is presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society and is and free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch.