A. Roger Ekirch's book releasing to rave reviews
A. Roger Ekirch, professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, unveils the mysterious history of night in this meticulously investigated book of how we survived in the centuries before electric lighting. Based on 20 years of detailed archival research, At Day's Close: Night in Times Past (W.W. Norton, 2005) is an enthralling, compelling study of the darker side of human history.
The book, which spans literature, psychology, and social and intellectual history, has already earned rave reviews before its official release on June 13. This week’s (May 30) New Yorker dedicated five pages to Ekirch’s tome while it also led the list in the June edition of Harper’s. It has been widely praised by historians and literary critics. Bernard Bailyn, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, called it "a revelation." In the opinion of George Steiner, the book is "a pioneering achievement of a rare order," a work that "truly casts light on absolutely vital spheres of darkness." The documentary filmmaker Ken Burns found it “an irresistibly fascinating book” with “a hypnotic feverish pace that will have its readers up all night wondering, expectant.”
Night is the forgotten half of the human experience, the secret and unknown half of history. Drawing on diverse sources including personal papers, letters, and journals, legal documents, religious tracts, and 18th-century newspapers, At Day’s Close examines and challenges longstanding assumptions about nocturnal activity in times past.
Ekirch writes in his preface: “Darkness, for the greater part of humankind, afforded a sanctuary from everyday life, the chance, as shadows lengthened, for men and women to express inner impulses and realize repressed desires both in their waking hours and in their dreams, however innocent or sinister in nature. A time, fundamentally of liberation and renewal, night gave free reign to the goodhearted as well as the wicked.”
At Day’s Close spans from the late Middle Ages to the early 19th century, and is divided into four separate parts. The first section of the book, “In the Shadow of Death,” focuses on the dangers to both body and soul that the night could bring. Part Two, “Laws of Nature,” considers both bureaucratic and popular responses to nighttime, such as curfews and watchmen to control and restrict activity. Citizens themselves relied upon magic, Christianity, and natural lore to counter the darkness and safeguard their families. “Benighted Realms,” the third section, investigates the nocturnal retreats of men and women, and analyzes the personal freedom, pleasures, and pursuits that nighttime afforded them. Lastly, Part Four, “Private Worlds,” unearths ancient bedtime rituals, sleep patterns, and midnight revelations.
Ekirch will discuss his new book at noon Monday, June 20, at the Library of Congress. The discussion will be held in Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the Library's Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., S.E. A book signing will follow the presentation, which is part of the Center for the Book's "Books & Beyond" author series. The program is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed. Much of Ekirch's research took place at the Library of Congress.
Ekirch, a former Guggenheim Fellow who resides outside of Roanoke, earned his undergraduate degree in history from Dartmouth College and went on to obtain his master's and Ph.D. in history from Johns Hopkins University.
