Archives

Fifty years ago, Peyton Place turned the image of rural New Hampshire on its ear… by suggesting that incest, rape and murder lurked just beneath its pristine chapels and manicured town greens. Metalious's book became one of the first overnight blockbusters and many in 1950's New Hampshire today tell stories of buying and reading it in secret, under the covers. On this Granite State Stories, we’ll explore Peyton Place's impact on small town life, on its time and on our state and get your stories of when you first read the book.

Guests

• Sally Hirsh-Dickinson, NHPR announcer, whose forthcoming dissertation on Peyton Place is entitled "Dirty Whites and Dark Secrets: Deconstructing Sex and Race in Peyton Place"
• David Watters, Professor of English at the University of New Hampshire, Director of the Center for New England Studies and Granite State Stories Humanist

This program was originally broadcast on June 8, 2007.