Baltimore Book Event at Enoch Pratt Library
Join us for an evening with author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz
The year, 1851. The place, a Quaker farming community turned Underground Railroad stronghold, where a Maryland enslaver had journeyed in pursuit of four men who’d fled his plantation years before. In a few hours, he’d be dead…and twenty-seven men from the village of Christiana would be rounded up and put on trial. Not for his murder, but for treason—for waging war against the United States, at a time when it was a crime against the government to obstruct an enslaver looking to reclaim his “property.”
This is story of what happened in Christiana that September morning—and in the ensuing “trial of the century,” which saw the president himself advise the prosecution on strategy and a sitting congressman serve as lead attorney for the defense. But The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker is also a much larger tale, one spanning decades, following a whole startlingly diverse community of abolitionists in their fight to convince their fellow Americans of the subversive idea that now found itself on trial: that the nation ought to live up the ideals it was founded on, and respect all men as equals.
It’s a story that whisks readers from the quiet farmlands of Lancaster County—where a self-emancipated man named William Parker, whom legend had it bullets could not kill, rallied his neighbors to ride out each night to battle the slavecatchers who stalked their countryside—to Philadelphia’s genteel Society Hill, where socialite Harriet Forten Purvis had the ear of the mayor (and a cellar filled with fugitives). It’s stylish, propulsive, intimately human tale of bravery, ingenuity, and hope—and of ordinary people with little in common who came together to stand against injustice…and won.
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz will be joined in conversation by author & Johns Hopkins University professor Lawrence P. Jackson.
About the Author:
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is the New York Times bestselling author of Dr. Mütter’s Marvels, as well as eight collections of poetry. A seventh generation Pennsylvanian, she lives in Philadelphia with her husband, the novelist Ernest Cline, and their children.
About the Moderator:
Lawrence Jackson is a biographer and critic whose work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, n+1, and Best American Essays. He teaches English and history at Johns Hopkins and founded the Billie Holiday Project for Liberation Arts.
About the Program:
Doors will open to registered attendees at 6 pm.
A local bookseller will be on-site and have books available for purchase.
Free parking vouchers are available to program attendees who park at the Franklin Street Garage (15 W. Franklin Street) after 4pm. Ask Pratt event staff for your parking voucher prior to or after the program.
There is no registration required for virtual attendance. Simply visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Facebook or YouTube page.
This is a seated event with spaces reserved for individuals with accessibility needs. ASL interpretation will also be available for attendees throughout the event. If you need additional accommodations to successfully participate, please let us know at events@prattlibrary.org or 443-768-0762.
Wilmington (DE) Book Event at Delaware Historical Society (in partnership with Huxley & Hiro)
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Author Talk "The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker" [Delaware History, Christiana, Underground Railroad] at the Delaware History Museum. Registration coming soon
Christiana Heritage Days 175th Anniversary Celebration Day Two
Cristin is thrilled to be celebrating with 175th Anniversary of the Christiana Resistance at Day Two of the Christiana Historical Society’s Heritage Days celebration. Enjoy tours of the Zercher Hotel and the Christiana Freight Station; wagon tours of local Underground Railroad sites; historical re-enactors; spinning wheel, knotting comforter, and pewter caster demonstrations; living descendants; and more! Cristin is happy just to be a fellow guest at the event, though she is happy to sign your book if you bump into her!
Christiana Community Concert
Cristin is thrilled to be joining the Christiana Historical Society in celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the Christiana Resistance. Friday night is a free community concert, featuring Barlee Red Band and Days of Old Band. Pocket Books Shop of Lancaster will be on hand to sell copies of The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker at a special community discount for Friday night only! Please come on out! https://www.christianahistoricalsociety.com/copy-of-heritage-days-2025-1
Lancaster Book Launch @ Pocket Books Shop
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz will be celebrating the release of her book The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker in conversation with Darlene Colon, President of the Christiana Historical Society and direct descendant of Ezekiel Thompson. The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker is the first narrative nonfiction account of the Christiana Resistance, and the first to unite three of the radical abolitionist communities that made it possible: the wealthy free Black elite of Philadelphia, the rural white Quakers of Pennsylvania, and the fugitives from slavery who lived, worked, and ultimately fought in both worlds.
This book is free to attend, but please RSVP as space is limited. To reserve a copy of the book in advance, please purchase using the link on this event and get 15% off using PREORDER at check out! Aptowicz and Colon will both be available to personalize and sign books after the discussion.
Philadelphia Book Launch at Barnes & Noble
Join B&N Philly for a discussion and signing with Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz on September 9th at 6pm!
Join Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz and Barnes & Noble Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 9th at 6pm at Barnes & Noble Philadelphia (1708 Chestnut Street) for a discussion of The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker: A True Tale of Love, Murder, Treason, and Ordinary Folks Who Saved America, the extraordinary forgotten story of an event known in its day as “the first shots of the Civil War,” from the New York Times bestselling author of Dr. Mütter’s Marvels.
She will be joined in conversation by representatives from 1838 Black Metropolis, including Michiko Quinones.
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GUIDELINES:
To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the guidelines below before purchasing a ticket so that you know what to expect on the day of the event.
TICKET INFORMATION
Seated Admission w/ Book: $33.48 (Admission + one copy The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker) **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:
One copy of The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker (published 09/08/2026)
Admission and seat in the event space and signing line with Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz.
For Seated Tickets: A limited quantity is available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase of a ticket guarantees entrance to the event for the discussion and signing. However, this ticket may not necessarily guarantee a seat at the event, as arrivals after the start of the event may be placed in standing room behind the seated audience.
NYC Book Launch at Powerhouse Arena
Cristin returns to her former haunts for her launch day celebration of her book The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker. Cristin will be in conversation with the brilliant multi-hyphenate Amber Tamblyn, with special appearance by poets Sarah Kay, Jon Sands, and more! Click here to tickets: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/powerhousebookstores/book-launch-the-ballad-of-the-fugitive-william-parker-by-cristin-o-keefe-aptowicz-in-conversation-with-amber-tamblyn
Pre-Publication Launch Event with Hanif Abdurraqib, Scott Woods, and Ernest Cline
NYT Bestselling Author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz in Conversation with Ernest Cline, Hanif Abdurraqib, & Scott Woods (Special Pre-Release Event!)
Sunday, September 6 at 6:30 pm at CCAD’s Canzani Center
You will have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions after the event, purchase books, and get your books signed.
Be the first to get your hands on The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker! The book will officially be released on September 8, but Thurber House has received special permission to sell the book at this pre-release event.
Tickets are $35 for the event only or $49 with a copy of the book.
Buxton Homecoming
Cristin is thrilled to be coming to the Buxton Settlement’s 103 Homecoming weekend on Saturday September 5th. Stay tuned for more details!