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Author Talk | Jeannine A. Cook

Join author Jeannine A. Cook as she discusses her memoir, "Shut Up and Read," which chronicles the improbable true story of how she left an abusive past to build a bookshop that survived the Covid pandemic and became an international sensation.

Jeannine Cook always thought she’d open a bookshop in her old age. Raised by a blind librarian, books were integral to her life, and she expected she would eventually write one as well. Instead, Jeannine found herself a burnt-out workaholic with three jobs and no time to read or write, feeling like she hadn't fulfilled her purpose.

In her journal, Jeannine began an imaginary dialogue with Harriet Tubman, “Q&As” she dubbed Conversations with Harriett. Jeannine wondered how Harriet became a “wade through waist-high water in the winter: type of woman—and how she could become one too.

Books will be available for sale and signing from Read It Again Bookstore. 

Registration is requested. 

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Jeannine A. Cook is the founder and owner of three avant-garde bookshop concepts: Harriett’s in Philadelphia, Ida’s in South Jersey, and Josephine’s, a literary installation in Paris. She holds an MFA from Drexel University. It’s Me They Follow is her first novel.

Moderator Gabrielle Dudley is the Assistant Director of Public Services at Emory University Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. She earned her M.A. in Public History and MLIS with a concentration in Archival Studies and Preservation Management from the University of South Carolina. She also holds a B.A. in History from the University of Montevallo. Dudley contributes to the archival profession through publications, committee work, and teaching. She is a champion of equal access to archives – especially for underrepresented groups and is an avid volunteer and community advocate.

Presented by Adult Services.

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