Author Marilyn Mascaro will discuss women’s evolving roles in 1920s Knoxville and her book When the Rivers Flowed: An Ambitious Hillbilly and a Southern Flapper Discover Knoxville, TN on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street.
In the early 20th 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 1920s. 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 Mascaro’s nonfiction book. In her presentation, 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.
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’s degree in education and a master’s in English from the University of Tennessee.
Visit the website for more information and to register. Register on Eventbrite for this event streamed on Zoom or visit the ETHS Facebook page at the start of the program to watch this on Facebook Live.