About the book:
\nBased on h undreds of hours of research\, interviews\, and access to exclusive source s and materials\, "Sandy Hook" is Elizabeth Williamson&rsquo\;s landmark i nvestigation of the aftermath of a school shooting\, the work of Sandy Hoo k parents who fought to defend themselves\, and the truth of their childre n&rsquo\;s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and con spiracy theorists. \;
\nOn December 14\, 2012\, a gunman killed
twenty first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown\, Connecticut. Ten years later\, Sandy Hook has become a foundatio
nal story of how false conspiracy narratives and malicious misinformation
have gained traction in society.
\;
One of the nation&rsquo
\;s most devastating mass shootings\, Sandy Hook was used to create destru
ctive and painful myths. Driven by ideology or profit\, or for no sound re
ason at all\, some people insisted it never occurred\, or was staged by th
e federal government as a pretext for seizing Americans&rsquo\; firearms.
They tormented the victims&rsquo\; relatives online\, accosted them on the
street and at memorial events\, accusing them of faking their loved ones&
rsquo\; murders. Some family members have been stalked and forced into hid
ing. A gun was fired into the home of one parent. \;
Present a t the creation of this terrible crusade was Alex Jones&rsquo\;s Infowars\, a far-right outlet that aired noxious Sandy Hook theories to millions and raised money for the conspiracy theorists&rsquo\; quest to &ldquo\;prove& rdquo\; the shooting didn&rsquo\;t happen. Enabled by Facebook\, YouTube\, and other social media companies&rsquo\; failure to curb harmful content\ , the conspiracists&rsquo\; questions grew into suspicion\, suspicion grew into demands for more proof\, and unanswered demands turned into rage. Th is pattern of denial and attack would come to characterize some Americans& rsquo\; response to almost every major event\, from mass shootings to the coronavirus pandemic to the 2020 presidential election\, in which Presiden t Trump&rsquo\;s false claims of a rigged result prompted the January 6\, 2021\, assault on a bastion of democracy\, the U.S. Capitol.
\nThe S andy Hook families\, led by the father of the youngest victim\, refused to accept this. "Sandy Hook" is the story of their battle to preserve their loved ones&rsquo\; legacies even in the face of threats to their own lives . Through exhaustive reporting\, narrative storytelling\, and intimate por traits\, "Sandy Hook" is the definitive book on one of the most shocking c ultural ruptures of the internet era.
\n\nAbout the a uthor:
\nElizabeth Williamson is a feature writer for \;The New York Times. She joined the \;Times \;as a member of its editorial board\, writing about national politics during t he 2016 presidential campaign. Previously\, Williamson was a writer for&nb sp\;The Wall Street Journal\, covering national politics and the Obama Whi te House\, and a national reporter for \;The Washington Post. \;Sh e began her career with a decade as a foreign correspondent\, including co vering Eastern Europe for \;The Wall Street Journal. She grew up in Ch icago\, and lives in Washington\, D.C.
\n\n6 pm Conversation< /p>\n
7 pm Book Sales &\; Signing - offered by the PGCMLS Foundation< /p>\nhttps://pgcmls.libnet.info/event/8364516 URL;VALUE=URI:https://pgcmls.libnet.info/event/8364516 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/pgcmls/Image_Elizabeth_Wil liamson.jpeg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR