Library to host virtual visit with Oregon author

ROSEBURG, OR – Roseburg Public Library invites the community to an online Facebook Live event at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, with Oregon author Pat Sherman to discuss her new book, “American Tapestry: Portrait of a ‘Middling’ Family, 1746 – 1934.”

According to the author’s website, “Spanning the years between 1746 and 1934, ‘American Tapestry’ is a ride through American history” alongside a “middling” family of community leaders. This family exemplifies the type of people who served on foundational democratic institutions, and, although imperfect, “each of the identified family members” is seen responding to “challenges that embody the universal experience of the human condition,” the website reads.

Writing is a new departure for Sherman. After uncovering an ugly truth to her great-grandfather’s history, she said on her website that she felt “compelled to come to terms with the disparity between flattering biological sketches and the reality” of her family’s past. This quest for answers and the question “How could this be?” is what led Sherman to write “American Tapestry.”

Sherman grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., before moving to Oregon for school. She attended the University of Portland and Oregon State University before continuing her families’ centuries-long commitment to public service. Sherman served as the mayor of Brookings, Oregon; worked as a nurse and an accountant; and owned a seed business specializing in sweet peas. Sherman now spends her time with her family and two terriers in rural Oregon, where she practices photography, swimming and gardening.

Copies of the book are available through the library. Place holds on a physical copy of the book by logging into the library’s online catalog at roseburg.biblionix.com with a 14-digit Roseburg Public Library card number. The default password is the phone number used to register the account.

Sherman’s virtual visit will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/RoseburgLibrary. A Facebook account is not required.

Speaker questions may be submitted before the event to Lydia Rathe at lrathe@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-7052. Viewers with Facebook accounts may post questions during the event by commenting on the livestream.