Ithaca College

Lisa Harris, former assistant professor of writing, will read from her debut novel ‘Geechee Girls at Buffalo Street Books: 6:00 PM Thursday, February 27.

Set near Savannah during the Civil Rights era, this coming-of-age story chronicles the struggles of Tessie and Annie, two working-class girls (one black, one white), who share a native blood line and a fierce devotion to their land. Critics have praised ‘Geechee Girls for its evocation of the Deep South and its folklore inspired by the Ogeechee tribe, “as old as the red clay of [Georgia’s Low Country].”

“Tessie, the novel’s protagonist, compares herself to a snake," says Dr. Katharyn Howd Machan, professor of writing and Harris’s colleague. “She is not afraid to venture into a swamp. Lisa is not afraid to show us the copper[head] in our own dreams, the cobalt in our bluest fears.." To learn more about ‘Geechee Girls, read Harris’s February 19 interview with Professor Barbara Adams in The Ithaca Times.

Harris, a local author and educator, taught in the Department of Writing for several years. As a collaborative artist, she has done shows with ceramic sculptor Nancy Valle and print makers Carol Spence and Susan Weisend. She also has received residencies from the Constance Saltonstall Foundation and the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, as well as support from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts, Ithaca College, and the New York State Council of the Arts.

The February 27 reading is free to the public and will be followed by a book signing. Readers may purchase a copy of ‘Geechee Girls on site or online through Ravenna Press. Buffalo Street Books is located at 215 North Cayuga Street in the Dewitt Mall, Ithaca. For more information, call (607) 273-8247.