“Ruth Suckow's Lost Story: Iowa's Great German American Writer" at the German American Heritage Center -- August 23.
Sunday, August 23, 1:30 p.m.
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
Held in conjunction with the Davenport venue's new exhibition “Everyday Lives, Extraordinary Voices: Ruth Suckow's Iowa,” The latest event in the German American Heritage Center's popular “Kaffee und Kuchen” series, August 23's Ruth Suckow's Lost Story: Iowa's Great German American Writer, will find President of the Ruth Suckow Memorial Association Barbara Lounsberry exploring the extraordinary backstory of this too-little-known German-American writer.
As stated at EBSCO.com: “Ruth Suckow (SEW-koh) was an American author known for her regionalist writing that focused on the lives of Midwestern families, particularly those of German immigrant descent. Born into a family with a liberal minister father, Suckow grew up in various Iowa communities, shaping her perspective on rural life. She pursued her education at Grinnell College and the University of Denver, where she earned her degree in 1917, and developed skills in beekeeping to support herself financially. Suckow's literary career began in the 1920s with her first published work, 'Uprooted,' and she contributed to several prominent periodicals of the time.
“Her notable works include The Bonney Family, which reflects her own upbringing, and The Folks, regarded as her most accomplished novel portraying Midwestern family life. Throughout her life, Suckow resided in various cities, including New York City and California, but considered Cedar Falls, Iowa, her home. Despite a decline in her literary recognition during the 1940s and 1950s, she continued to write until her passing in 1960, leaving behind a legacy that highlights the intricacies of small-town American life and the immigrant experience.”
Born and raised in Iowa, program presenter Barbara Lounsberry is an Emerita Professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa and President of the international Ruth Suckow Memorial Association. She has written books on literature and writing, and had the fun of editing three mystery novels set in Iowa, with each chapter written by a different Iowa author. The first novel,Time and Chance, revolves around Mississippi riverboat gambling; the second, 16,000 Suspects: A RAGBRAI Mystery, is set during Iowa's famous bicycle ride across the state. Politics is Murder, the third detective novel, unfolds during the 2002 Iowa's governor's race. Lounsberry has also published seven scholarly books, her latest an award-winning trilogy on Virginia Woolf and diaries: Becoming Virginia Woolf; Virginia Woolf’s Modernist Path; and Virginia Woolf, The War Without, The War Within.
Lounsberry's German American Heritage Center presentation will cover: the shadow over Suckow's early life; her surprising love story; the bee-keeping business that supported her first days as a writer; her brief stay in Davenport; and her friendship with Robert Frost, Grant Wood, and H. L. Mencken. All of these elements will be interwoven with the German American life Suckow weaved into her nine novels and 43 short stories.
Ruth Suckow's Lost Story: Iowa's Great German American Writer will be presented at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on August 23, with refreshments for this “Kaffee und Kuchen” event served at 1:30 p.m. and the program beginning at 2 p.m. Guests are welcome to bring their own mugs if they wish; disposable cups are provided, but mugs from home will help the venue reduce waste. Participation is free for Heritage Center members and $8 for non-members, and more information is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
