Ken Egan Jr. In Conversation with Alan Weltzien
About this Event
Country Bookshelf is excited to welcome Montana author Ken Egan Jr. in conversation with Alan Weltzien to celebrate the publication of Ken's new book, .
Praised by Peter Quinn as "a fascinating, deeply researched saga of the loss and promise of immigration," chronicles the life of Ken Egan Jr's great-grandfather, Captain John Egan, offering a moving reminder of the hardships of immigration and a timely reckoning with the imperfections of our forebears.
Tickets are not required but RSVPs are always appreciated! Please RSVP by reserving a free general admission ticket at Eventbrite.
The event at a glance:
- On November 11, please arrive early to secure your seat. Seating is general admission, first come, first served.
- At 6pm, the event will begin. The author will take audience questions following the program.
- After the talk, the author will sign books.
- Can't attend in person? Order signed copies or by calling (406) 587-0166. Signing requests must be placed 24 hours before the event and can only be taken for books we currently have on our shelves.
ABOUT IRISH BORN, AMERICAN MADE
Born to poverty in the Irish county of Tipperary, John Egan participated in some of the most dramatic events of the nineteenth century, including mass migration to the United States during a catastrophic famine, the “opening” of Japan via gunboat diplomacy, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and homesteading in the Upper Midwest. In Irish Born, American Made, his great-grandson examines the processes by which a scorned British subject became a proud American citizen.
Although Egan’s life was filled with epic drama, the author does not shy away from unsavory truths, such as his ancestor’s doubts about the virtues of abolition or his enthusiastic participation in settling land appropriated from Indigenous peoples. Equally, Egan recognizes the real hardships his ancestor faced in assimilating to American society, from the prejudices of the ascendant Know-Nothing movement to the condescending caricatures of Irish soldiers by his Union compatriots during and after the Civil War. The result is both a moving reminder of the hardships of immigration and a timely reckoning with the imperfections of our forebears.
ABOUT KEN EGAN JR.
Ken Egan Jr. is the former executive director of Humanities Montana, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He previously taught American literature at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The author or editor of five books, he lives in Missoula, Montana.
ABOUT ALAN WELTZIEN
O. Alan Weltzien is a Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Montana Western. He is the author or editor of numerous books and chapbooks, including and the forthcoming book of travel essays, Walking Off Well-Beaten Paths (Cornerstone Books, 2027).
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