Alumna Madeline ffitch to read from her novel set in Appalachian Ohio

Ohio University alumna, author and activist Madeline ffitch visits Feb. 17 to read from her work as part of the Visiting Writers Series at 7:30 p.m. in Galbreath Memorial Chapel on College Green.

ffitch, who earned a Ph.D. in English from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2018, is also an Athens resident. Her novel “Stay and Fight” takes advantage of ffitch’s roots in Appalachian Ohio, where her protagonist comes to live off the land.

“She translated her experience living in Athens into a nationally prominent novel, and she’s become a respected voice on water rights, resistance to resource extraction, gender, indigenous rights, among many other things,” said David Wanczyk, Ph.D., assistant professor of instruction of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and editor of New Ohio Review.

ffitch has been active in fighting against fracking and injection and is involved with local environmental justice group Appalachia Resist. According to The Appalachian Voice, she became well-known in 2012 for protesting the Hazel-Ginsburg well in Athens County. She chained herself between two barrels and blocked the driveway to the well.

She has also fought against pipelines and for indigenous rights. In 2017, she wrote an article for granta.com about traveling to Standing Rock to fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. As a mother, she wrote about how pipelines make it harder for parents to keep their children healthy and safe. She also mentioned that she lived close to a pipeline in Appalachia.

“Stay and Fight” was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, and the Washington State Book Award. Wanczyk strongly encourages people to come and see ffitch.

“She is a singular voice and has succeeded in the publishing world. Beyond that, she’s a natural teacher and performer with a background in theater,” he said.

The English Department’s Visiting Writers Series brings three acclaimed writers per year — one poet, one essayist, and one fiction writer. The speakers offer their insight on the art and work of writing. This year’s series was made possible with support from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Fine Arts.