C.L. Willis presents HILLBILLY ODYSSEY: RESILIENCE IN A SMALL MOUNTAIN MILL TOWN with Tom Rash

C.L. Willis will visit City Lights on Saturday, August 16th at 3:00pm to share his memoir, Hillbilly Odyssey: Resilience in a Small Mountain Mill Town in conversation with Tom Rash.

C. L. Willis’ memoir weaves together the threads of family, community, church, and place, presenting them as the very essence of Appalachian life. Willis deftly showcases the remarkable resilience exhibited by his family and the indomitable spirit of his hometown in the face of adversity. These stories serve as a poignant counterpoint to the prevalent, reductionist, and often derogatory portrayals that have long plagued the Appalachian people and their culture.

C. L. Willis, a native of Canton, North Carolina, is professor emeritus of sociology and criminology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This is his first book. His previous publications were scholarly articles in social science journals. After retiring from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, he moved back to his beloved mountains. He lives with his daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren in Alexander, NC.

You may also like the following events from City Lights Bookstore:

• This Thursday, 31st July, 06:00 pm, Film Screening: TIGER at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin
• This Saturday, 2nd August, 03:00 pm, Mike Rayder presents ALTERED ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL in Sylva
• Next Thursday, 7th August, 06:00 pm, Natalie C. Anderson: THAT KIND OF GIRL in Sylva