In the Shadow f the Hanging Tree: A Memoir
I edited this book for my friend Kathy Baxter. In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree is the memoir of a white woman's search for greater understanding of the impact of racism on American life and on the way school children are taught. Her story begins when, at the age of nine, she went to Texas with her family and found herself in a world divided into black and white. She saw that black people were not treated well and no one on the white side of the world seemed to think anything was wrong. The memory of that trip shaped the rest of her life, including her decision to spend a semester at an all-black college.
As an elementary school teacher, dismayed to discover that the curriculum portrayed only a world that was white, she searched for books and films about black people, slavery, and the struggle for freedom. The author believed this was important for all of her students, whatever their color.
She eventually wrote a curriculum about American slavery that was successfully implemented in a number of schools. It was particularly rewarding to see that white children enjoyed it. In a community noted for its racism, they began to take an interest in black people and to understand the need for the curriculum that helped them do that.
This book tells a moving story about the possibilities for change.
Tales from the Tail
I helped my friend Banny Porter edit this
poignant collection of letters and short stories, in which the author shares his experiences as a tail gunner during World War II. Enlisting after his 19th birthday, he underwent rigorous basic training before being sent to the US Air Force Base in Framlingham, England, where he flew 35 combat missions. His letters vividly capture the daily routine of military life, while his stories offer a more intimate and reflective perspective on the war. Although written some 60 years later, they are infused with a remarkable sense of immediacy, thanks to the author's sharp mind and vivid memory. Discover these powerful firsthand accounts of one man's journey through war, brought to light by his daughter after his passing in 2019.
Forthcoming
