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INconversation with Timothy Egan: Indianapolis
Join Indiana Humanities in welcoming acclaimed author Timothy Egan to discuss “A Fever in the Heartland.”
Event Details
Join award-winning author Timothy Egan and Indiana Humanities for a three-city tour on November 14 and 15. During this tour, Egan will discuss his most recent book, A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them. During the tour, Egan will be in conversation with local journalist Adam Wren about the history of the Klan in Indiana, the brave individuals who stood up to its influence, and the implications of this history for Hoosiers today. All events are free. Seating is limited, however, and registration is required at the link above.
A Fever in the Heartland is a compelling telling of the rise of the 1920s Klan in Indiana, including the notorious figure D.C. Stephenson, who spurred the Klan’s growth from his home in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Irvington. Egan’s powerful storytelling describes the conditions that allowed the Klan to gather influence, while also identifying those who resisted—a reporter from Muncie, an African American publisher, a single prosecutor, and Madge Oberholtzer, whose deathbed confession would bring down Stephenson and eventually the Klan.
Egan will visit Indianapolis on November 14 and Kokomo and Muncie on November 15. In Indianapolis, Egan will appear with Adam Wren at Irvington Presbyterian Church from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Book sales will be provided by Tomorrow Books, with a book signing following the program.
ASL interpretation will be provided. If you have any accommodation requests or questions about accessibility, please contact Megan Telligman at mtelligman@indianahumanities.org.
ABOUT TIMOTHY EGAN
Timothy Egan is an acclaimed writer and veteran chronicler of the American experience whose interests range widely across history and landscape and into the spiritual realm. He is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, a popular columnist, and a National Book Award–winning author of eleven books.
Egan’s most recent book, A Fever in the Heartland, is a historical thriller that was an immediate New York Times bestseller. “Brisk,” “Powerful,” and “Gripping,” wrote the Times. Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, called it “a harrowing look at forgotten chapter in American history.”
Egan’s earlier account of the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won the 2006 National Book Award, considered one of the nation’s highest literary honors. A lifelong journalist, Egan worked as a national correspondent and opinion columnist for the New York Times, roaming the West. As a Times correspondent, he shared a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 with a team of reporters for paper’s series “How Race Is Lived in America.”
Egan graduated from the University of Washington and holds honorary doctorates from Whitman College, Willamette University, Lewis and Clark College, and Western Washington University. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A third-generation westerner and father of two, Egan lives in Seattle, a city that loves writers and that once recognized him by naming May 12 a day in his honor—but alas, providing no exemption from parking tickets.
ABOUT ADAM WREN
Adam Wren is a midwestern journalist with a decade of experience covering politics, including the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Pete Buttigieg. Wren created the substack IMPORTANTVILLE, an indispensable guide to the intersection of Indiana politics, business, and power.
Wren’s journalism has been published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, POLITICO Magazine, The Daily Beast, Indianapolis Monthly, Longreads.com and Longform.org. Wren is a three-time finalist for national City and Regional Magazine Association awards, including Writer of the Year, Best Profile, and Best Feature.
Wren’s media appearances have included MSNBC’s “Live with Stephanie Ruhle” and “Live with Craig Melvin,” along with podcasts such as Slate’s “What Next.”
ABOUT INDIANA HUMANITIES
Indiana Humanities connects people, opens minds and enriches lives by creating and facilitating programs that encourage people to think, read and talk. Learn more at www.indianahumanities.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES & UNITED WE STAND
Timothy Egan’s visit is made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ United We Stand initiative, which supports local programming that helps communities counter the destructive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety.