Portraits from Our Past:
FAMOUS AUTHORS
Southwest
Virginia Authors
Adriana
Trigiani
Filled with
big-time eccentrics and small-town shenanigans, Big Stone Gap is
a jewel box of original characters" - that is … the best-selling
book of Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani, not to be confused
with the town itself. However, the author draws upon her experiences
growing up in the town as the backdrop for the book and its sequel
Big Cherry Hollow.
Trigiani moved to Big Stone Gap in 1967 with her
large Italian family. She loved reading as a little girl and
always dreamed of being a writer. She attended Notre Dame/St.
Mary's College in Indiana where she was a theater major. There
she immersed herself in English, Shakespeare, and the classics.
Plays became the central focus of her writing. After graduation,
Trigiani moved to New York and founded The Outcasts, an all girl
comedy troupe and she made her off-Broadway debut as a playwright
in 1985. Trigiani wrote Secrets of the Lava Lamp for the Manhattan
Theatre Club. She has won numerous awards for her plays. Trigiani
began writing and producing television situation comedies in
1988. These have included The Cosby Show, A Different World,
and Good Sports. She was executive producer and head writer for
the Jim Henson television production Citykids.
Described by Random House as "A wholesome Cinderella story
with a winning blend of '70s nostalgia and Appalachian local
color, Trigiani's fictional account of Ave Maria Mulligan's life
in Big Stone Gap takes place against a colorful, detailed tour
of Big Stone Gap's history and attractions. Some of these attractions
include: The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama, the Mutual
Pharmacy, and the Southwest Virginia Museum. Big Cherry Hollow,
the sequel to Big Stone Gap, follows Ave Maria Mulligan from
the mountains of Southwest Virginia to Italy. Ave Maria is forced
to confront what is truly important to her. The mountain walls
that have protected her all her life can not spare Ave Maria
the life lessons she must learn.
In a recent speech to graduates of The University of Virginia's
College at Wise, Adriana Trigiani encouraged graduates to "find
the thing you love to do." Trigiani certainly has taken
her childhood love and followed her dream. Continue to follow
Adriana's dreams in her new book Milk Glass Moon, which is currently
in publication.
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The Southwest Virginia Museum is a
member of the American
Association of Museums, the American Association of State and
Local History, and the Virginia Association of Museums.
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