Tickets are now available to see and hear Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough, who is making two special appearances in Marietta to promote his new book The Pioneers, on May 31 and June 1.
McCullough will conduct a book discussion and a Q&A at 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 31st, hosted by Marietta College at the Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta. On Saturday, June 1st, Campus Martius Museum will host “Meet David McCullough” from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at 601 Second St., Marietta.
“We are very excited to welcome our good friend and colleague David McCullough back to Marietta, and we are anxiously anticipating these events and the release of his new book — The Pioneers,” said Dr. William N. Ruud, Marietta College’s 19th President. “We have enjoyed getting to know Mr. McCullough over the past 2 ½ years as he conducted research in our Special Collections and Archives, and everyone is thrilled he is coming back to connect the story of the Northwest Territory with the people who live here now.”
Tickets for the book talk and Q&A are $5 and can be purchased by calling the Peoples Bank Theatre Box Office at (740) 371-5152, or online at www.peoplesbanktheatre.com. There will not be a book signing at this event, but pre-signed and unsigned books will be available for purchase. All income from ticket sales will be donated to the Washington County Historical Society.
The event at the Theatre will be emceed by Dr. Janet Bland, the College’s Provost and Dean of the Faculty. Dr. Douglas Anderson, Director of Legacy Library, will provide a welcome and Marietta Mayor Joe Matthews will deliver a proclamation.
Campus Martius Museum will conduct a VIP event from 3:00-4:00 p.m., Saturday, June 1. VIP tickets (only 20 available) are $250 per person and will give individuals a chance to have a more personal setting and time to chat with McCullough at The Pioneers. VIP ticket holders also receive a signed copy of the book and preferred seating during the general reception.
The general reception is from 4:00-5:00 p.m. and tickets (only 80 available) are $35 per person. There will not be a book signing at the event, but there will be pre-signed and unsigned books available for purchase.
To purchase tickets or for more information about the event at Campus Martius: (740) 373-3750.
In The Pioneers, which is scheduled for release by Simon & Schuster on May 7, McCullough tells the story through five major characters: Manasseh Cutler; Revolutionary War veteran General Rufus Putnam; Cutler’s son Ephraim; and two other men — one a carpenter turned architect, and the other a physician who became a prominent pioneer in American science. They and their families created a town in a primeval wilderness, while coping with such frontier realities as floods, fires, wolves and bears, no roads or bridges, no guarantees of any sort, all the while negotiating a contentious and sometimes hostile relationship with the native people. Like so many of McCullough’s subjects, they let no obstacle deter or defeat them.
Anyone interested in pre-ordering the book can do so through Marietta College’s Bookstore by calling (740) 376-4528 or going to the store in the Gilman Student Center.