Gioia Diliberto in conversation with Doug Seibold: Firebrands

In the immediate aftermath of winning the vote, women took their power to fight for and against what came to be a defining issue of the 1920s. Author Gioia Diliberto's novel tracks four women who helped create, enforce, defy, and ultimately repeal Prohibition. On Tuesday, November 12th, the author will discuss her lively historical narrative in conversation with Doug Seibold, founder of Agate Publishing.

tracks four Jazz Age dynamos who led opposing forces of “Wets” and “Drys” across a teeming landscape of bootleggers, gangsters, federal agents, temperance fanatics, and cowardly politicians. Building on the momentum of suffrage, their clash over Prohibition stands as the first significant exercise of women's political power since women gained the right to vote. Yet, these women have been largely lost to history. Diliberto finally gives these dynamic figures their due, creating a varied and dramatic portrait of women wielding power, in politics, society, and popular culture.

Gioia Diliberto is the author of eight books – three historical novels and four nonfiction narratives – and a play. Her work, which focuses on women's lives, has been praised for combining rich storytelling and literary grace with deep research to bring alive worlds as varied as Jazz Age Paris, nineteenth century Chicago, Belle Epoque Paris, disco era Manhattan, and Prohibition New York. She also teaches writing and has taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design and DePaul and Northwestern Universities.

Doug Seibold has been a writer, editor, and publisher for 40 years. In 2002, he founded Agate Publishing, based in Evanston, Illinois. Today, the company comprises four trade imprints, an educational content development division, and a new career development and training program for publishing launched in late 2023.

This event is free, but registration is required. Doors will open at 5:00 PM. The author talk will begin at 6:00, followed by a book signing from 7:00-7:30.

Host or Publisher Bookends & Beginnings