Help us celebrate the launch of Grafton native author and illustrator Sue Lawton's new book: The Circus and the Cyclone featuring the music of The Vitrolum Republic. 

Artist's Statement

The Circus and the Cyclone is a piece of fantastical historical fiction set against the worst natural disaster in Wisconsin’s history - the destruction of the town of New Richmond by a tornado in 1899. The event was made even more tragic because a traveling circus had also arrived that day, attracting many outside visitors to the town.

Using this backdrop, I have created a narrative that weaves between a pair of childhood friends, now grown and fallen in love, a pair of clowns competing for the affections of a beautiful contortionist traveling with the circus and a megalomaniac human cannonball who dreams of flying to the moon. All of these stories culminate when the tornado suddenly strikes, turning fates and revealing hidden truths.

Opening is free and open to the public.