Athenaeum Literary Award Winner for Nonfiction

Bench Ansfield presents a talk about *Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American*, which received The Athenaeum’s Literary Award for Nonfiction and was a finalist for the ’26 Pulitzer Prize in History. The program examines the wave of landlord arson that spread through the Bronx and other American cities during the 1970s, devastating poor communities of color and revealing broader changes in race and capitalism. It distinguishes these fires, driven by profit, from the protest uprisings of the 1960s.

The talk will be followed by a book signing and reception. Ansfield is an assistant professor of history at Temple University, holds a PhD in American studies from Yale University, and received the Allan Nevins Prize for the best dissertation in American history from the Society of American Historians.

When: Tuesday, December 1

Showtime: 6:00 PM

Speaker: Bench Ansfield

Program: Talk, followed by a book signing and reception

Tickets: Free

Registration: Registration is requested, with options for members and non-members

Venue: The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

Address: 219 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3794

Contact: 215-925-2688