Ep. 44 Evidence of a Life – LIVE – with Sheila O’Connor, Jonatha Brooke, Laurie Flanigan Hegge & Autumn Mason

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Sheila O’Connor about her book inspired by her grandmother's story, alongside musical guest Jonatha Brooke and playwright Laurie Flanigan Hegge.

Sheila O’Connor’s book, “The Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts and Fictions,” is inspired by her search to find the story about her unknown grandmother who was incarcerated in Sauk Centre, MN in 1935 with the sole transgression of being pregnant at 15. Not only did Sheila unearth family secrets that now make sense, but she also discovered a world in which young pregnant girls were treated as criminals, shamed into silence and erased from history. Musical guest singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke & playwright Laurie Flanigan Hegge were first introduced by my husband, Ron Peluso, recently retired as the long-time Artistic Director of the History Theatre. Struck by Sheila’s work, he asked if Jonatha and Laurie would be interested in collaborating on a musical bringing to life Sheila’s quest for the truth about V and so many girls like her. Though they had never met, they immediately bonded through their shared love of Sheila’s commitment to find the evidence of V. We hear songs from their powerful musical that gives V a voice. Autumn Mason , a doula with the Minnesota Prison Doula Project was originally a client personally experiencing the trauma of incarceration…

People in this episode

Host: Sue Scott

Guests: Sheila O’Connor, Jonatha Brooke, Laurie Flanigan Hegge, Autumn Mason

Topics covered

• musical collaboration
• family secrets
• pregnancy
• historical treatment of women

Keywords

• The Evidence of V
• Sauk Centre
• 1935
• musical

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Evidence of a Life, The Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts and Fictions, Dear Mitch, Island of Discarded Women, Hymn of Days, Matrons of the Wayward, Trouble, Bastard Nation, Solitary, Kindness of 15

Places: Sauk Centre, MN

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