Jessica I. Elfenbein at the Decatur Book Festival (Decatur, GA)
Join us for at the Decatur Book Festival for conversation with Jessica I. Elfenbein, Wood Basket of the World and Haisten Willis, A Legacy in Peanuts, moderated by Chuck Reece, editor-in-chief of Salvation South. In this session, Elfenbein and Willis will discuss two industries that have shaped the South's economy, landscape, and labor practices.
In A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom’s Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South, Willis tells the story of Tom’s Foods, a company based in Columbus, Georgia, that played a major role in establishing the peanut as a cash crop. In Wood Basket of the World: Lumbering, Commerce, and Conservation in South Carolina’s Forests, Jessica I. Elfenbein, coeditor, shares how South Carolina became central to the global timber economy. These two books explore the intersection of the industry, people, and culture of the South. This is a must-attend session for anyone interested in business and history!
Jessica I. Elfenbein is professor of history at the University of South Carolina and an award-winning public historian. She is the principal investigator for the ongoing multifaceted "Wood Basket of the World" project.
Haisten Willis was born in Columbus, Georgia, and grew up hearing a lot about Tom’s Foods—no fewer than nine of his relatives worked there at one time or another. Later, he spent summers riding in a Tom’s delivery truck and learning the business from his dad. Willis is a journalist who has written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, and the Washington Examiner. He is the editor of Commonplace magazine and works in Washington, DC. He joins us with his book A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom's Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Book signing will take place at 1:15 pm.
Signing locaton: Marriott Conference Center
Visit the Decatur Book Festival event page.
Posted on September 22, 2026 | Categories: Events