Please join us for a talk by artist and author Suzanne Stryk on her first book, The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia. There’s no such thing as the middle of nowhere. Everywhere is the middle of somewhere for some living being. That was Stryk’s mantra as she journeyed through her home state on a mission inspired by the reflective, encyclopedic sensibility of Thomas Jefferson’s book Notes on the State of Virginia. The creatures in their habitats and the people she meets are characters in the book, a tapestry of essays, lush sketches and ephemera. Stryk’s multimedia collages, composed of dead bugs, tourist pamphlets, road maps, pressed leaves, rusty farm equipment, animal bones and handwritten directions, all artistically arranged over USGS topographic maps, bring the narrative to life. A book signing will follow the talk.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series supports the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia through online or in-person events. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres. This book will be available at the Virginia Shop. For more information, contact Catherine Fitzgerald Wyatt at 804.692.3999 or catherine.fitzgeraldwyatt@lva.virginia.gov.

This is a free event. Registration is required. Seating in the Lecture Hall is available on a first come, first served basis. Limited free parking is available in the deck underneath the Library building.