Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St. in Peterborough, will be hosting a talk with Carolyn Eastman, a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar, Monday, July 18, at 2 p.m.
Eastman recently published her second book, “The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States’ First Forgotten Celebrity.” The book examines a celebrity performer who captivated audiences at a key moment in the founding era of the United States. James Ogilvie arrived in the United States in 1793 as an educated, impoverished and ambitious teacher. By the time he returned to Britain in 1819, he was a celebrity known simply as “Mr. O” who counted the nation’s leading politicians, writers and intellectuals among his admirers. Following Ogilvie on lecture tours from the Atlantic Coast to frontier Kentucky, Eastman reconstructs his path to renown, explaining how and why Ogilvie mattered to the citizens of the early republic.
Her talk will include details about her research process and the hunt for facts and materials in the archives. Her book is available at the library for checkout.
Eastman is a professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a 2022-2023 National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar. She is also the author of “A Nation of Speechifiers: Making an American Public after the Revolution.”
For information on this program or any library services, visit peterboroughtownlibrary.org or call 603-924-8040.