Pitt-Bradford groups to hold launch party tonight for new books by Nancy McCabe

BRADFORD, PA – The Friends of Hanley Library and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Nontraditional Student Association are sponsoring a launch party for the newest book by Dr. Nancy McCabe, professor of writing.

The reading and launch party for “From Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood” will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons.

In this, her fourth full-length book, McCabe fully explores her lifelong relationship with fictional friends in the “Little House on the Prairie” series, “Anne of Green Gables” books, “Betsy Tacy” books and “Little Women.”

McCabe writes about revisiting the authors’ homes as an adult. Interspersed with her literary travelogue are chapters on the values she learned from reading and how her own imagination developed through books. Those chapters allowed her to explore even more beloved books and writers: Louise Fitzhugh’s “Harriet the Spy,” E.B. White’s “The Trumpet of the Swan,” Carolyn Keene’s “Nancy Drew” books and more.

With the book now in print from the University of Missouri press, McCabe has especially enjoyed giving readings and talks, where audience members often share their own childhood stories with her.

“That’s been the most fun part of this book – hearing people talk about their own memories,” she said.

McCabe will be continuing those conversations through two blogs, her “Rereading Childhood” blog on her website, www.nancymccabe.net , and a blog about literary travel on the website of the noted literary magazine Ploughshares, www.pshares.org.

Her work has won a Pushcart Prize for memoir, made the notable lists for Houghton-Mifflin Best American anthologies and won two awards from the literary magazine Prairie Schooner.