Conversation with with Bill Newcott | Divided We Stand

In-Person or Online

In his book Divided We Stand: A Road Trip in Search of the Ties that Bind Ordinary Americans No Matter What, veteran journalist Bill Newcott seeks to explore what might seem impossible: in small towns across the US and Canada, Bill dives into the BIG topics about which Americans disagree: abortion, policing, immigration, guns—and these are just a few—and seeks to find where there might be small pockets of unity, even understanding. As he writes in the book’s prologue, “I’m not looking for a Kumbaya can’t-we-all-agree moment. I’ll settle for a lukewarm we-are-not-that-different respite.” Although that simple goal often felt elusive, Divided We Stand is a testament to Newcott’s deep hope for his deeply divided country, and during the summer of our country’s 250th anniversary, the book is not only timely, but necessary.

In conversation with Maribeth Fischer, author of three acclaimed novels and the founder and executive director of the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild, Bill will discuss, with the candor and humor that marks so much of his writing, how Divided We Stand came to be, why he was so determined to pursue this project, and if, he ever wanted to give up. He’ll talk about how he came up with the vast range of topics and places to visit, the challenges of writing this particular book, and how writing it, ultimately changed him.

Bill Newcott is a former longtime senior editor at National Geographic and AARP the Magazine, three-time writer of the year for the International Regional Media Association, currently a contributing editor and weekly film critic for The Saturday Evening Post, a frequent contributor to Delaware Beach Life magazine and author of the upcoming book Divided We Stand: A Road Trip in Search of the Ties that Bind Ordinary Americans…No Matter What.

Maribeth Fischer is the author of three novels, The Language of Goodbye, The Life You Longed For, and A Season of Perfect Happiness. Her books have been sold in the UK as well as Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Portugal. The recipient of two Pushcart Prizes for her essays, Maribeth founded the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild in 2005, where she currently serves as Executive Director.

This collaborative program by the Lewes Public Library, Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild, and Browseabout Books is part of a series in observation of America250, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial.