"Lay that Trumpet in Our Hands" by Susan Carol McCarthy

About the Book
One orange-blossom-scented night in 1951, Reesa McMahon woke to find her world shattered by violence and hatred. Her friend and mentor, nineteen-year-old Marvin Cully, had been brutally murdered by the local Klan. The killing of this innocent black man, who worked in the McMahons' orange grove, will forever change Reesa's life and the life of everyone in the genteel town of Mayflower, Florida, pitting neighbor against neighbor in a conflict that would ultimately divide a nation.

Against this backdrop, Reesa draws strength from her indomitable grandmother "Doto," who drove hell-bent down from Chicago in her new blue DeSoto... Warren, her slow-to-anger Yankee father, who never quite fit in to the closed society of Good Ol' Boy citrus growers... Miss Maybelle Mason, the elderly postmistress, who knew a rattlesnake when she saw one - and the bite of heartbreak as well - and Luther and Armetta and the black community of Mayflower. Through Reesa's painful search for meaning, we experience the unforgettable rites of passage of a young girl's and of a small town's shattering confrontation with racial prejudice, injustice,
and - ultimately - truth.

About the Author
Susan Carol McCarthy was born in Florida in 1951, too young to remember the fear or the courage that filled her family's life. She describes the young narrator she invented to tell the story for her as "the sister I always wanted." "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands" is McCarthy's debut novel. She currently lives in San Diego, California.

2007 Calendar of Events

An Evening with Author Susan McCarthy
Wednesday, August 22; 7:30 p.m.
East Lansing High School Auditorium, 509 Burcham Drive

University Welcome for Incoming MSU Students featuring Susan McCarthy and Evangeline Moore
Thursday, August 23; 9:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Wharton Center for Performing Arts, MSU Campus (public is Welcome)

Writing Workshop led by Professor Anita Skeen
Tuesday, September 4, 11 & 18; 4:00-6:00 p.m. & 7:00–9:00 p.m.
East Lansing Public Library, Community Room, 950 Abbott Road

Reading of Works
Tuesday, September 25; 7:00 p.m.
MSU Museum, MSU Campus

Family Event: "Toot Your Horn" - A Celebration of Our Community
Friday, September 7; 5-7 p.m.
East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbott Road

"Civil Rights in East Lansing"
Sunday, September 9; 2:00 p.m.
East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road, Banquet Room
A panel of local individuals recount their personal experiences during the time of the civil rights movement in East Lansing.

Movie and Popcorn: "A Time to Kill" (R)
Monday, September 10; 7:00 p.m.
East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbott Road, Community Room

MSU Friday Night Film Series; "Nothing But a Man"
Friday, September 14; 7:00 p.m.
MSU Main Library, Room W 449
After the movie, Professor Jeff Wray from Michigan State University's English Department will give a brief talk, tying together themes from the book and the movie.

MSU Gospel Choir
Sunday, September 16; 5 p.m.
Peoples Church of East Lansing, 200 W. Grand River Ave.
There will be a book discussion about "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands" following the performance.

Breaking Barriers: MSU’s Role in Integrating Sports
Monday, September 17; 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Clara Bell Smith Student Athlete Academic Support Center, S.E. Corner of Shaw Lane & Chestnut Street, MSU Campus

"Life in Writing," Library Colloquia
Thursday, September 20; 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Susan Carol McCarthy, author of "Lay that Trumpet in our Hands," meets with MSU creative writing students to discuss the craft of writing. Anyone interested in attending should contact Dr. Gordon Henry at 432-1990 or henryg@msu.edu.

Book Talk with Susan McCarthy: Community book discussion with author of "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands"
Thursday, September 20; 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road, Banquet Room
Call 351-2420 beginning August 1 to register.

World View Lecture Series: Rachel Naomi Remen: Becoming a Blessing
Monday, September 24; 7:30 p.m.
Wharton Center for Performing Arts, Great Hall

Reading of Works from Writing Workshop MSU Museum
Tuesday, September 25; 7 p.m.
MSU Museum, MSU Campus

Book Discussion
Wednesday, September 26; 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Peoples Church Library, 200 W Grand River Ave.
Join members of the East Lansing and MSU communities in a book discussion led by Aram Kabodian.

Activism: The Fight for Civil Rights
Through October 31
Michigan State University's Library, 4-West, MSU Campus
An exhibit that focuses on historical events such as the murder of Harry T. Moore, student activism during the 1960's and the Civil Rights Movement.