As A River

It’s 1977. Bannen, Georgia, a small town nestled amid pine forests, is rife with contrasts: natural beauty and racial tension, small-town charm and long-term poverty. An unsettling place for a Black man who fled it years ago and has since traveled the world. But Greer Michaels has to come home, to care for his dying mother. And that means confronting family secrets rooted in the traumatic history of the segregated South. Written in spare and lyrical prose, As a River moves back and forth across decades, evoking the mysterious play of memory as it touches upon shame and redemption, despair and connection. At its heart it’s a novel about our struggles to understand each other, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

About the Author:

Sion Dayson grew up in North Carolina and earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Utne Reader, and many other venues, and her writings often focus on travel, living abroad, and her literary hero, James Baldwin. Her popular blog paris (im)perfect explored the City of Light’s less glamorous side. After a decade in Paris, she now resides in Valencia, Spain.

Andrew Nurkin, the Deputy Director of Enrichment and Civic Engagement at the Free Library of Philadelphia

About This Event

Store seating is first-come, first-served. To join the signing line, we ask that you purchase a copy of the book from Shakespeare & Co. (available at the event). Please note there is no elevator access to our mezzanine/event floor.