RIDGWAY — At 6 p.m. Nov. 21, the Elk County Council on the Arts, 237 Main St., will host Elk County’s PJ Piccirillo as he brings his extensive research and storytelling prowess to discuss “The Indigo Scarf,” a historical novel that shines a light on an overlooked part of Pennsylvania’s past.
Piccirillo spent four years meticulously researching the early 19th-century African American pioneer experience in north central Pennsylvania to bring authenticity and depth to “The Indigo Scarf.” This award-winning book is set amid Pennsylvania’s scenic but rugged Cameron, Clinton and Lycoming counties. It has sparked thoughtful discussion about the slave experience in rural Appalachia and the resilience of African American pioneers following emancipation, alongside the unique struggles of Pennsylvania’s early settlers.
Based on the true story of two escaped slaves who fled into Pennsylvania’s wilderness with white women, “The Indigo Scarf” captures the complexities of a northern state grappling with the lingering shadow of slavery. Piccirillo’s research weaves together the perspectives of Quakers, a ruthless slave catcher and a Revolutionary War veteran forced to confront his daughter’s love for an enslaved man. Piccirillo will share the journey he took to uncover this hidden history: working closely with Pennsylvania historians, early American slave law scholars, descendants of the fugitive settlement, and experts in folk traditions. Woven within this story is the narrator’s discovery of how her pioneering ancestor destined her to break the generational chains of oppression.
Piccirillo is an acclaimed author, editor and adjunct professor at Butler County Community College. His other works include “Heartwood” and “Nunc Stans-A Ferry Tale,” and he has twice won the Appalachian Writers Association Award for Short Fiction. As the founder of the WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® and editor-in-chief of the Northern Appalachia Review, he is a passionate advocate for the region’s literary voices. Piccirillo is also a seasoned humanities presenter, having worked for 19 years as a Literary Resident Artist for the PA Council on the Arts and as a literary scholar for the PA Humanities Council. He holds an MFA from the University of Southern Maine.
