Jessica Handler and Rebecca McClanahan in Conversation

Thu Jun 04 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm UTC-04:00

Hub City Bookshop | Spartanburg

Hub City Writers Project
Publisher/HostHub City Writers Project
Jessica Handler and Rebecca McClanahan in Conversation
Advertisement
Jessica Handler and Rebecca McClanahan discuss writing about mothers and daughters.
About this Event

Writers and teachers Jessica Handler and Rebecca McClanahan discuss the sticky topic of writing about mothers (and daughters), mothers as daughters, and mothers as people in fiction and nonfiction. Jessica's forthcoming novel, The World to See, deals with these relationships and more connections between women—friendships, business partners, lovers. She is the author of The Magnetic Girl and others. Rebecca McClanahan's memoir Light Falls on Everything: A Daughter's Memoir of Caregiving, Grief, and Possibility delves into her role as caretaker for her parents in their elder years and how that experience shaped her reflections on love and loss. McClanahan is the author of eleven previous books.

Get a 10% discount on the book when you RSVP on Eventbrite and present it at the bookshop register.


About the Book

"Handler brings her trademark scything gaze and compassionate understanding of human nature to this vivid tale of two women navigating their relationships with their mothers, their entwined histories, and their music." —Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever and With My Little Eye

When teenager Nadine Harvey helps her best friend hide a disturbing secret, she’ s also concealing her own deepest truth: she’ ll do almost anything to be wanted. Five years and three thousand miles later, Nadine is thrilled when her idol, Celeste— a rock singer known as “ the oracle” — befriends her. As Celeste’ s career begins to falter, she launches a bold program encouraging women to speak their truths. Nadine eagerly becomes her business partner, but as their ambitions clash, their alliance starts to unravel. Determined to hide their growing rift, Celeste and Nadine invite their mothers to a high-profile awards gala. When painful histories resurface, each woman must confront how she sees herself— and how the world sees her.


About Jessica Handler

Jessica Handler is the acclaimed author of Invisible Sisters, Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss, and the award-winning novel The Magnetic Girl. She has written features for NPR, in Tin House, Electric Literature, The Bitter Southerner, The Washington Post, and elsewhere.


About Rebecca McClanahan

Rebecca McClanahan’s work has appeared in Best American Essays, Best American Poetry, and in numerous anthologies. Her most recent book is Light Falls on Everything: A Daughter’s Memoir of Caregiving, Grief, and Possibility. Recipient of two Pushcart prizes, the Glasgow Award in Nonfiction, and other awards, McClanahan teaches in the MFA program of Queens University, Charlotte.

Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Hub City Bookshop, 186 W Main St, Spartanburg, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Spartanburg

KC and The Sunshine Band
Wed, 03 Jun at 07:00 pm KC and The Sunshine Band

The Theater at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

KC and The Sunshine Band at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
Thu, 04 Jun at 07:30 pm KC and The Sunshine Band at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Elevating Nonprofit Financial Strategy for Long-Term Impact.
Fri, 05 Jun at 10:00 am Elevating Nonprofit Financial Strategy for Long-Term Impact.

Robert Hett Chapman III Center for Philanthropy

SC 48 Hour Film Project
Fri, 05 Jun at 06:00 pm SC 48 Hour Film Project

821 Whitlock St, Spartanburg, SC 29301-1884, United States

Stoneware Frozen Pond Workshop
Fri, 05 Jun at 06:00 pm Stoneware Frozen Pond Workshop

660 Spartan Blvd Ste 20, Spartanburg, SC, United States, South Carolina 29301

The Smokey Beans - Off The Clock Friday at Fretwell Spartanburg, SC
Fri, 05 Jun at 06:00 pm The Smokey Beans - Off The Clock Friday at Fretwell Spartanburg, SC

101 Fretwell Street, Spartanburg, SC, United States, South Carolina 29306

Tom Papa: Grateful Bread Tour
Fri, 05 Jun at 07:00 pm Tom Papa: Grateful Bread Tour

385 N Church St, Spartanburg, SC, United States, South Carolina 29303

Spartanburg is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Spartanburg Events