Step into the winding corridors and lavish interiors of Abernathy House as we welcome Micaiah Johnson to The Center for the launch of The Unhaunting, a literary horror novel that reimagines the haunted house.
In The Unhaunting, Shantell’s best friend Avery mysteriously inherits Abernathy House, a grand mansion built by a daughter of the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War. Although they expect the worst, the friends move in and experience an eerie sense of peace: Abernathy House appears to be the sanctuary they needed after years of violence and loss. But as Shantell and Avery peel back the crumbling layers of the house’s history, they discover there’s only one thing worse than a house that’s haunted: a house that desperately wants to be.
Johnson will be joined in conversation by award-winning author P. Djèlí Clark. They will discuss the many complexities of Johnson’s genre-bending novel, including the work of resurrecting history and reconciling the past with contemporary notions of race and privilege.
We offer two in-person ticket options: the $10 Standard Ticket and the $40+ Supporter Ticket. Both provide the same access, but if you’re able, we kindly suggest registering for the Supporter Ticket to help sustain our programs. Please note that tickets do not include books; we encourage you to order in advance online or purchase copies at the event.