A fascinating behind-the-scenes examination of the growing archival collection of Carson McCullers material in Columbus, Georgia will be the focus of a free public lecture in September.
 
Columbus State University’s Joseph Thomas (Tom) Converse, the former Head Librarian of the National Archives, will lead audience members on this virtual tour in a talk entitled “The Archival After-Life of Carson McCullers: Remarks on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of her Death.”
 
The presentation will take place on Friday, September 29, 2017 at 7:30pm in the Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road. Admission is free and no advance reservations are needed. The event is co-sponsored by the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians and the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries.
 
Mr. Converse, who “retired” to Columbus in 2009, has been working with the Columbus State University Archives and, more specifically, with its collection of McCullers memorabilia for the past several years. He most recently cataloged the donation of the papers of Dr. Mary Elizabeth Mercer, the longtime doctor and companion to Ms. McCullers during the latter part of the author’s life. This collection has caught the eye of scholars and writers worldwide, some of whom will be visiting the Valley in the near future to explore the collection in detail.
 
2017 is an auspicious year for McCullers fans as it marks both the 100th anniversary of author Carson McCullers’ birth and the 50th anniversary of her untimely passing. The University, the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries and other community groups staged a lavish series of talks, gallery openings and events to honor her birthday this past February. Although smaller in scale, this lecture and other talks at the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians on Stark Avenue are meant to acknowledge the sesquicentennial of Ms. McCullers’ untimely passing at the age of fifty.

For more information about the event visit the Libraries’ website www.cvlga.org or call 706.243.2669.