MEDINA — Mark Ferrara, author of “The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal,” will discuss and sign copies of his book Saturday at Author’s Note, 519 Main St. Ferrara’s presentation is set to begin at 4 p.m.
“The Raging Erie” tells the stories of the ordinary people who lived, worked and died along the banks of the Erie Canal, emphasizing the role of the poor and working class in its construction. Ferrara, a professor of English at SUNY Oneonta, chronicles the fates of Native Americans whose land was appropriated for the canal, the European immigrants who cut its route through the wilderness, and the orphans who drove draft animals that pulled boats around the clock.
“The Raging Erie” illustrates how the canal served as a conduit for the movement of new ideas and religions, a corridor for enslaved people seeking freedom via the Underground Railroad, and a spur for social reform movements that emerged in response to the poverty and suffering along its path. Through vivid characters drawn from the underbelly of antebellum life, Ferrara sheds light on the lives of canallers who toiled on behalf of American expansion.
Ferrara’s other books are “American Community: Radical Experiments in Intentional Living” (2020) and “Living the Food Allergic Life” (2023).
Copies of “The Raging Erie” are available at authorsnote.com/Events. For those unable to attend Ferrara’s presentation, signed books can be ordered for pickup or free shipping. For more information call 585-798-3642.