Georgia Books

Who would have thought that a book about hogs could be both as funny and informative as "The Hog Book" by William Hedgepeth. I laughed, I cried, I had swine visions.

Mr. Hedgepeth has managed to relate to the reader what, I believe every farm boy has secretly know for years, that hogs are magical, mystical beings worthy of our deepest respect and admiration. If you don't believe me just read the section on hog poetry or gather around the old piano and launch into a chorus of the Hog Song.

Mr. Hedgepeth has a gift for weaving fact and fantasy into a fabric that is as hilarious as it is enlightening. The book is beautifully illustrated by John Findley (is this the same John Findley who wrote and illustrated "Tex-Arcana" for Heavy Metal Magazine?) with photos by world famous photographer Al Clayton. I highly recommend it and it would make a good gift for all the farm boys or girls for that matter on you Christmas list.

I just couldn't put it down except when I was laughing to hard.

Many years ago, I was alone, floating on the sea of human companionship like a wretched speck of oil atop a great sea of cold, emotionless water. I drifted listlessly through the wasted years of my youth, never knowing the joy of friendship. Finally, I became a counselor at a summer camp in Vermont, where I came across Hedgepeth's great tome. I spent hours gazing at the image on the cover, of a beutiful, nude blonde woman riding bareback on a great specimen of swine. I taught the Hog Song to all of my campers and recited hog poetry in the forests under the moon. And not to go into specifics, but I learned quite a bit from the section about hog breeding. Quite a bit. I would just like to thank you, William Hegdepeth, for writing this remarkable book, and, if you are out there somewhere, please contact me so we can breed hogs--together.

Sincerely,

J--- W--- (Floating Feather)

William Hedgepeth's The Hog Book keeps you alert. Reading along, you pause and ask yourself, "Wait, was that list of animals written in verse?" It was. You read more and wonder, "Did he really interview that farmer or did he make it up?" It doesn't matter. Hedgepeth's talent is to compel the reader then punctuate his yarn with a delightfully palatable, "Gotcha!" Just when you've fallen under the Hedgepeth spell of silliness, he tugs at your heart with an in-your-face look at the slaughter of these animals he's just caused you to fall in love with. Why should you read a book about hogs? Because Hedgepeth is a gifted writer, and it's a pleasure to read his words. Because Hedgepeth's instruction about hogs goes down as if with sugar. Because Hedgepeth borrowed from Cinderella and Pygmalion to reveal beauty in creatures frequently ridiculed and dismissed. Perhaps each of us sees a little of our insecure selves in Hedgepeth's recognition of the value and beauty of the oft-maligned hog.

William Hedgepeth has written one of the most unique books imaginable on the life of hogs. This dry and witty look at porcines is no quick compendium on the subject. It is a thorough and informative account of everything you could want to know about these creatures. And it's funny.

An early Ally McBeal Show featured a case where Michael, a pig, gave up his life in order to donate his liver (or some organ) to the crass & orca fat Mrs. Goldstein. Instead of thanking the Doctor for life, she sued because she felt it beneath her to share an organ with a pig. Had Goldstein read The Hog Book, she might have requested Michael's heart as well. This animal's existential ability to accept itself and experience joy in living is a tall order that most humans cannot fill.

I see a sequel to this book - The Tao of Being a Hog, Living in the Now. In any case, I wish this author would turn his journalist's eye and writer's wit onto another subject quick. He's a pleasure to read.

In college days, a friend gave me a copy of this book for my birthday. In it was a picture of a hog, its face painted like a clown, a ruffled clown collar and a conical clown hat. I stared at that picture off and on for quite awhile vowing, I want to train "circus pigs" for a career. Eventually I went on to train hogs for movies, television and live performances. Keep this book away from your children and young impressionable college students unless you want to condemn them to a life of loving hogs ... and people too, because after reading this holy scripture, you will realize, we too are hog.

Everybody who has serious illness or cares for somebody with a life-threatening illness should have this book. Makes a nice gift.

Going to be a best seller or should be.

NANCY WHITE KELLY IS A MASTER OF LIFE. SHE TOUCHES THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF HER READERS. SHE SHARES A STORY FULL OF HUMOR, EMOTION AND INSPIRATION AND IS ONE OF LIFES GREAT FIGHTERS. I AM LUCKY THAT SHE CAME BACK INTO MY LIFE AFTER AN ABSENCE OF SO MANY YEARS.

SIMPLY, ANYONE HAVING....OR KNOWS OF ANYONE HAVING BREAST CANCER SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. IT GIVES INSIGHT OF THE PERSONAL UPS AND DOWNS OF THIS DREADFUL ILLNESS, AND SHOWS HOW YOU MAY AS A PERSON KEEP AND USE A SINCE OF HUMOR TO HELP OVER COME OR AT LEAST KEEP AT BAY THIS ILLNESS. YOU WILL LAUGH, AND CRY BUT, AT LEAST WALK AWAY KNOWING HOW THE LORD CAN WORK IN WAYS BEYOND OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, AND BE USED TO HELP OTHERS. IN MY OPINION....I HIGHLY REGUARD THIS BOOK "TOPS"....AND RECOMMEND IT !!!!

The Journal of a Living Lady is one of late summer's nicest gifts. Nancy White Kelly, a middle-aged school principal/writer, reaches deep within her southern soul to wittily describe what it is like to dance daily with terminal illness.

The book is a compilation of her most popular weekly newspaper columns which began originally as the Journal of a Dying Lady. When the author kept surpassing her doctor's time schedule for expected death, loyal readers suggested a title change. The Journal of a Living Lady allowed her more latitude to write about other interesting adventures as she traveled the toll-road to cancer survival.

The popularity of Nancy Kelly's local newspaper column soon turned global due to the accessibility of her columns on the web and the recognition given by web reviewers. Mrs. Kelly appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The Making Memories Organization recognized the author's wish to have an extended family reunion after she wrote, "I believe we have our funeral traditions backwards. When somebody dies, family and friends spend hours catching up, laughing and sharing memories. The only thing wrong with that scenario is that the person in the pine box doesn't get to participate."

Journal of a Living Lady is a page-turner. The last sentence of the first chapter ends, "I intend to live forever. So far, so good." Writing with a sometimes cynical, oftentimes mischievious squint, Mrs. Kelly leads the reader through several funny, yet inspiration experiences.

This book made me laugh and cry for three hours. Nancy White Kelly may have terminal cancer, but it certainly doesn't have her. In one column she wrote, "Until the horse is dead, I won't dismount. I only plan to spend the last day of my life dying." She also offers good advice: "Laugh a lot. Hug like a bear. Then smile. It is the second best thing you can do with your lips."

THE MORE I READ OF THIS BOOK, THE HARDER IT BECAME TO PUT IT DOWN. I FELT A PART OF THE WRITER'S EXPERIENCES, FRUSTRATIONS AND LONGINGS. READING A BOOK LIKE THIS PUTS ME INTO THE LIVES BEING DESCRIBED AND EXPOSES ME TO THE HEARTBREAK THEREIN. VERY TOUCHING AND ONE THAT I WILL READ AGAIN. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE SUFFERINGS OF MARION AND AMANDA AND THEIR FAMILIES.

If you want to know what it was like to be a soldier in the Civil War, read this book. It gives incredible insight into the day to day hardships that a soldier faced. It is an emotional journey that presents the pride of fighting for a cause and the heartaches of leaving ones family.

This book captures the feel of a soldier's life during the Civil War. The hardships and the heartaches of the war are made all too clear through the letters of this simple Georgia farmer to his beloved wife Amanda. A must read for any Civil War buff and an excellent slice of real history for anyone.

This simple farmer who went to war wrote letters home to his wife and child describing what his daily routines were in the army, including the homesickness and heartaches. The daily truths he describes make it hard to idealize and glorify any war.

My great-grandfather fought along-side Marion Hill Fitzpatrick as a member of the 49th Georgia, a sister regiment of Thomas' Brigade. This book gave me a very personal, heart-wrenching insight into not only what these men went through, but also the daily ordeals of surviving of their families back home. My thanks to the the folks who produced this wonderful work.

C. Bryan Smith

Literary Savannah
By multiple authors, including poet and writer Aberjhani, edited by Patrick Allen

A Gem!

Literary Savannah is the collection of multiple authors input on the beautiful city with a long and important history in Georgia.
Having lived ourselves in this magnificent city and still calling it our home in our hearts, this book has not only charmed us, but has taught us much about the Savannah history as well as the history of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and partly Florida in general.
The colonial cemetery was a large park crisscrossed with avenues where the finest trees in Savannah cast a constantly moving shade over paths of pink brick. Sycamores, catalpas, cork oaks, all bore in their foliage shreds of grey moss like long torn veils, stirring by the slightest breath of air. Originally from Barbados and borne by the wind, this almost ethereal vegetation added a melancholy element to even the most cheerful countryside land its strange attraction finally had its effect on the imagination. You could pull it out from the green depths, but it would come back, like some obsession...from Julien Green (1900-1998) The Distant Lands.
Let us close our review with a few short strophes from Aberjhanie's poem Return to Savannah, because, after all who would not want to!
Memories: vicious Like a thicket made hot With cobras. The wrong step or erroneous beat of the heart and I could turn into a tower, bursting with death.
Legends tell the tourists that specters roam this city but I've no need for tales to explain the red-eyed shadows hopping like squirrels through the greenless branches of my immediate apprehension. I remember when they died. Stand amazed, now, watching them haunt reflections of their former lives...

The stories of the area's history come to life as we turn the pages, read from the pen of Conrad Aiken, Sherwood Anderson, William Bartram, John Berendt, Emily Pilsbury Burke, Juliette Gordon Low, Johnny Mercer and Aberjhani and so many more.
Of course even some ghost stories will be found, after all, Savannah is known to friends of the paranormal as the most haunted city in the South.
Naturally, the South has always been of interest to us and our knowledge has been reasonable, but, after reading Literary Savannah, we felt truly educated and Savannah grew even dearer to our hearts.
If you like the South, you should not miss out on this literary adventure, if you love Savannah, you really should include this exceptional work in your home library.

© Birgit and Roger Pratcher, 2008

Literary Savannah was among the first in a series of literary travel anthologies published by Hill Street Press when the company was founded in 1998. To include the city of Savannah, Georgia, in such a series would have made good sense at pretty much any time but particularly during the last decade because of the spotlight cast on it by a developing film industry within the city and by the immense popularity of author John Berendt's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

The genius of this exceptional travel literary anthology is the eclectic mixture of names it includes. Some--like founding father George Washington and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano--many readers would not expect to find because of their globe-spanning historical stature. Others--like Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Lowe and songwriter Johnny Mercer--were natives of the city and therefore are less surprising. In total, the voices of some 37 writers, plus that of editor Patrick Allen, comprise the volume.

Among those voices are such modern chroniclers of Savannah's ongoing story as: Pulitzer Prize-winner James Alan McPherson; journalist Tom Coffey; playwright and educator Ja A. Jahannes; author and writing instructor Rosemary Danielle; and the author of "Savannah Spectres," Margaret Wayt DeBolt.

Much of the book's richness is also due to the variety of literary genres sampled within it. From passing glimpses of the city as jotted down in a notebook entry by novelist Henry James to famous declarations as made by General William T. Sherman in a letter to his commander in chief. Memoirs, fiction, essays, poetry, "true" accounts of hauntings, and songs all blend to create a finely balanced and nuanced portrait of one of the most uniquely beautiful cities in the United States.

by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of "The Bridge of Silver Wings"
and The Wisdom Of W.E.B. Du Bois (Wisdom Library)

I can only visit this beautiful, ineffable city once a year, but this wonderful volume of literary gems makes me feel like I live there all year around. There is SO much more to know about the Hostess City of the South than one finds in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

This book is exceptionally well done and brings all the facets of a Southern Gem - Savannah - together in one book. For anyone who loves the old South, I would strongly suggest this book. The compilation of stories show a rich wonderful city that has had its own share of joy and sorrow. The editor did a wonderful job pulling literary tones together in a unique and complimentary fashion, sounding a true lyrical tribute. My favorite stories are by Conrad Aiken and Flannery O'Connor. The description of Savannah by James Ogelthorpe is astonishing. The piece that stole my heart , however, was written by Aberjhani entitled "Return to Savannah." The voice of the poet moves the words straight to the core of the reader.

I've been to Savannah I don't know how many times; have walked the streets and squares and read the historical markers; have devoured some local history and novels--such as MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. But, now I don't feel like I knew Savannah at all. I learned so much more in LITERARY SAVANNAH. I highly recommend it for anyone who has visited (and loved, of course) or is planning a visit to Savannah.

I believe the author did an excellent job in painting the climate that initiated the white mob slaughter of the black population in 1906 in Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal , other newspapers, and politicians are directly responsible for stroking racial hatred and white fear for black citizens.

People who say that the media doesn't have an influence on the mindset of the viewers are in absolute denial of the media's power to project images - positive or negative. Look at today's media and how they purposely demonize Black Americans. Images are powerful.

For black Americans there was/is no such thing as justice. It is "just us" justice. It was a painful book to read, but a must read.

I recommend it strongly.

This is a sharp, erudite, and very readable account of Atlanta's turbulent racial politics in 1906. But it is also much more than a historical study of a single year. Mark Bauerlein has produced an impressive analysis of black intellectual history at the turn of the century. His observations are precise, and his reconstruction of events vivid. I recommend this book highly.

This is an objective historical account, but I couldn't help thinking as I read it: "What a great story!" It has all the makings of a really good potboiler - an unexpected treat for such serious subjects.

As for the matters of race, anyone who wants to read about how people really experienced race relations on the ground and in their daily lives should read this book.

Scrupulously researched and well written "Negrophobia" is a gripping recount of the events prior to, during, and after Atlanta's 1906 Race Riot; a long neglected chapter of Atlanta's history. Bauerlein does an outstanding job of putting that era in context, especially the events in Georgia and Atlanta that led to, and created the environment for the riot. The race-baiting gubernatorial election of 1906, the rampant yellow journalism hyping black-on-white violence, and Thomas Dixon's "The Klansman" all play a part in creating the toxic brew. Bauerlein thankfully includes a Dramatis Personae at the front of the book so readers can keep central historical figures easily identifiable. The action is broken into four logically titled components: Prelude, Riot, Aftermath, and Epilogue. This simple elegant construction serves the native well, recreating the Atlanta of 1906, setting the riot in motion, and speaking of its aftermath. Bauerlein wisely lets the principals speak in their own words and betrays no bias towards or against anyone or anything, remaining a neutral voice leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. Buerlein is unsparing in his recounting the events of the riot in a way that can send chills down your spine and this book isn't for faint-hearts, yet is not needlessly gory. The book fairly crackles with energy and drama but those easily offended by racism would best avoid it as Bauerlein doesn't shy away from exploring and explaining it. I immensely enjoyed this book and can't help but praise Bauerlein's writing and scrupulous research.

Having found very little about the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906, imagine my delight at coming across "Negrophobia." There's so little about this event that anything would have been fine, but Bauerlein's study is exhaustive and a damn good read.

The author made the wise choice of spending considerable time setting the scene, looking at the entire cast of characters and 1906 Atlanta. He thereby sets the stage and makes the story of this horrendous riot that much more compelling.

I was also impressed by Bauerlein's straight forward account. He does not editorialize, instead letting the facts speak for themselves.

Atlanta was a relatively progressive city in the Jim Crow South, yet was far from immune to virulent and violent racism. Indeed the state of hysteria white women were whipped into in the South was probably as bad in Atlanta as anwyhere. The demonizing of African-Americans concurrent with the paranoia they engendered is at the heart of the riots.

Baurelein's books fills a huge void and is great reading.

"Nosthimia" is the Greek word for delicious and this cookbook is filled with just that: delicious appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, desserts and so many other amazing recipes. I enjoyed this book on a number of levels from the recipes themselves, to the small side stories scattered throughout the book. I have tried a number of the recipes with my mother and I would like to share a couple of them with you. "Georgia's Famous Baklava with Olive Oil" was a fairly simple recipe to make and is absolutely delicious. Once you try it, you will find yourself flipping to that page quite often! Another recipe, "Hamburgers Stuffed with Feta Cheese", is an unexpected twist to your usual Memorial Day cookout of hamburgers and hot dogs. This Greek Style hamburger is very delicious and I hope you give it a try. This cookbook is one of a kind. It allows you to experience the foods of the Greek culture while still having an American touch in terms of the time involved and the nutritious content in each of the recipes. I hope you give the book a try because I think you'll agree that it is filled with "Nosthimia" foods.

Nosthimia! is excellent. The recipes are easy to make yet delicious, just like the recipes that Georgia makes on her tv show. Unlike many other cookbooks, the ingredients can be easily found in almost any local supermarket. I was happily surprised that I didn't have to make a trip to a specialty market. I made several of the recipes for a dinner party including the feta cheese triangles and chicken stuffed grape leaves. I have to say that both recipes were delicious and my guests loved them.

I plan on using this cookbook on a regular basis. The recipes are delicious and provide just a hint of exotic Greek flavors. As an avid cook and cookbook purchaser, this is one of the best new cookbooks on the market.

These recipes are simple enough for weeknight cooking, but they are delicious and quite good enough for entertaining as well. I recently served the 'appetizer meatballs' and 'kalamata olive spread' at a small gathering. The meatballs vanished in short order and the olive spread tempted several folks who 'don't like olives' to give them another chance. I substituted aleppo pepper for the black pepper but otherwise made these recipes exactly as printed. The spanakopita recipe has a much shorter ingredient list than my usual one, and includes fennel, which mine doesn't. As much as I like my old recipe, I like Georgia's better and will stick with it. My favorite thing about Nosthimia is the ease of preparation compared to some other Greek cookbooks I've used. This book is full of recipes for tasty, nourishing food that won't take hours to prepare but will fill your house with tempting aromas and satisfy your hunger.

I expected long complicated lists of recipe ingredients and intricate steps. Not so! The lists were short and the instructions were about as simple as possible. Some grocery stores may not stock all the ingredients as few as they are so you may have to shop around or order online. Very easy and healthy cooking!

Georgia Sarianides has owned and operated several successful restaurants in her career, as well as running her own cooking school. For the past five years she has hosted the cable television show "Cooking with Georgia". In Nosthimia!: The Greek American Family Cookbook, Georgia has distilled the best of what she knows about Greek cuisine into a compilation of truly mouth-watering dishes. From My Mother's Village-Style Veal Soup (Horiatiki Soupa); to Aromatic Grilled Chicken with Wine (Aromatiki Kota sta Karvouna); to Calzone Stuffed with Meat (Kaltsounia Gemista me Kima), Nosthimia! offers 185 recipes that are truly delicious (nosthimia)!

Lise Funderburg wrote a moving memoir in tribute to her dying father in Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home--A Memoir. The author of Black, White, Other details the last few years of her father's life and the dynamics of their relationship during their travels to rural Jasper County, Georgia, George Funderburg's hometown. Funderburg had a distant relationship with her father for most of her life. She always felt she had to walk on eggshells around him, even as a little girl. George was a demanding, sometimes impossible man who intimidated those around him. Funderburg made the trek with her father several times to his Monticello, Georgia farm from the East Coast where the layers of his life and legacy were revealed to his daughter, peeled away like an onion, sometimes with tears.

George's father, Frederick Douglas Funderburg, was the town doctor who served both the black and white communities beginning in the 1920s. His illustrious climb from rural roots in Alabama to entry into the Columbia University medical program and then tenure in an all-white medical corps in the U.S. Military was possible because of his white-looking appearance. The Funderburgs were of the elite Monticello African American community because of Dr. Funderburg's stature and his keen business acumen at a time of Jim Crow racism and perilous race relations.

George Funderburg attended segregated schools and attended Morehouse College, a men's black college in Atlanta, married twice and had a family while accumulating wealth through lucrative real estate and business ventures in Philadelphia. The matter of race was not a discussion topic George broached with his three daughters and became less of a priority after he and their white mother divorced when Lise, the youngest, was twelve years old. Yet race evidently permeated George's psyche, so much so that he warned his daughter of "Klan Sneaks" referring to the time in his youth when the KKK would make surprise attacks on unsuspecting blacks.


Monticello proved to be quite an education of sorts for Funderburg as she learned to decipher her father's hometown amongst a colorful cast of relatives, friends, employees and associates in the new millennium juxtaposed against the era of his childhood. Although the town had taken down the visible symbols of segregation, the "White Only" signs and now black and white residents easily intermingled in most cases, some becoming successful landowners and part of the community's political infrastructure, there were the underlying subtle signs of yesteryear---self segregation in eating facilities and social situations. When George and his entourage would roll into town, he was the catalyst for the mixing of races with his impromptu parties where the food was plentiful, including the Pig Candy, aptly named for the whole pigs roasted in a specially concocted seasoning mixture. As an adult, Funderburg came to think of her father as a "race man"; perhaps, yet it was difficult for me to get that in this discourse as it is written. I kept waiting for that final layer to be peeled, to reveal the naked core of George's life; there seemed to be so much more to be said. However, this is a worthy read, well-written and well researched of Jasper County's geographical, economical and social/racial history. I recommend for those who enjoy memoirs that delve into the intricacies of familial relationship, especially fathers and daughters.


Dera R. Williams
APOOO BookClub

A must read. Especially for the healing professions. Medical students. More. Deserves a place in the "end of life" literature. Those who teach memoir-writing will also be inspired. First-rate family saga of a first-rate family.

no plot review could do the magic of this book justice--because it's not so much what happens: pickling peaches, say, or, visiting doctors, diners, and rib purveyers. it's the comedic timing, the brilliant, telling details and writing so fine that you can't get through more than a dozen pages without underlining a sentence or two. also, lise is a reliable and honorable narrator who helps you now only understand her relationships but create your own with the complete and complicated characters in the book. it's just too good not to read.

George Newton Fundenberg is a cantankeous, opionated, black man from rural Georgia who married a white woman, moved to the North, became a successful real estate broker and is the proud father of three daughters. He is difficult to get along with and even more difficult to please. His daughter, Lise, is determined to do just that, get along with and please him before he dies. In the process, she is introduced to the Southern tradition of roasted pig (pig candy), Southern hospitality and Jim Crow laws. This is a beautifully written, vividly painted memoir and a worthwhile read in its own right. Anyone who has dealt with an aging, ailing parent will identify with Lise's struggles and preserverance to bring her relationship with her father to a healthy but loving closure for both of them.

Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home--A Memoir

Never, not ever, not Amy Tan, not Toni Morrison, not any of my
favorites (not even Alice Walker) has shown the ability to expose
herself--to bare her proverbial soul, while respecting boundaries;
those of her self, her subjects, her family and her readers. I have
never known any writer, of any gender, to speak so truly and deeply
from within, in such a matter of fact manner while conveying
unparrelled integrity, and without manipulation of the readers' emotions.
No preaching, no judgment; just accessible values and hopefulness, as
if it is an easy, everyday thing to do.

"Dr. Excitement" has produced a political opus, a symphony of warring factions and dueling backwoods politicians that pokes at the cerebrum and plucks at the heartstrings. Dr. Lamplugh has outdone himself yet again. Jolly, jolly good show.

Dr. George Lamplugh's use of language in this book is phenomenal. This man is by far the greatest book about Georgia politics ever written. Any true Southerner, in fact, will adore this book. The book is so fascinating that I couldn't stop reading it, even when I was driving. I had a long road trip to the beach, and I read it the entire way down, while driving. I unfortunately careened into a ditch and I lost my book. It was the worst day of my life. Much Love.

even though i'm ownlee a young school boy, i can appree-shee-ate good books when i read them. doctor lamploo is probubly the bestest author i've ever read or even heard about even bwetter then shakespeer or hemwingway , dr. zhivago or probably even ronald mcdonald. when i was sick in bed i asked my mum to read me "politics on the periphery". i couldn't fall asleep until i made her stop since its kept me on me toes and there was this one chapter on the yazoo crisis i thinks and it sounded like yahoo chocolate milk and it made me feel warm and safe, even tho i couldn't stop coffing. besides dr. seuss and the barenstein bears, dr. lamploo's book is my favurite i hope i never get better so i can listen to it every night. i am so sowy i lied and said i was thurteen but i had to let ever-wee-one kno how good this book is. i have to to to sleep now i go to braves game soon i hope we win. if you make one big hugest misstake yuore whoole life dontt let it bee not gettingg this book becuz it changes lives!

I cannot possible convey how much this book has changed my entire perception of Goergia Politics. I am stupified and would love for anyone else who thinks of themselves as knowledgeable in Georgia politics to read this book. I could not stop turning the pages. I could not wait to see what was going to be on the next page. Thanks, Dr. Lamplugh. Now I truly see why they pay you the big bucks. My eyes are open for the very first time!!!!!

A real "page-turner," Politics on the Periphery served as the sole source of enjoyment in my life. And it will for you too! You see, I was on the verge of dieing forom the rare diease, Kolioscosis (the doctors gave me a month at best), but this book gave me a reason to live. Live it said! Live! LIVE! Thank you George Lamplugh. Thank you so very much.

Working in a bookstore I often get asked for reading recommendations. Rebecca McClanahan's The Riddle Song is at the top of my list, appealing to anyone who is human.

I had read several of the stories included in Rebecca's recent compilation of essays when they appeared in earlier publications. Reading them as a whole only heightened my pleasure in each piece.

Rare is the storyteller who can summon tears or laughter in the same sentence that begs to be reread for the sheer beauty of its language. Rebecca does that. Her words create vivid images, making us feel the Prell between our fingers as we lather Aunt Bessie's "muddied gray" hair. We twinge as we witness the young bride spying from the window at her unfaithful husband below. And warm to the sight of her parents' bodies making "a spoon curve on the sofa."

I have shared Rebecca's stories with my 84 year old mother and my 14 year old son with equal success. She deserves a wide readership for her heartfelt rememberings, magically constructed.

Riddle Song is a book to savor. The language, images, and stories are beautiful, and they weave together to create a meditation on family and self that is rich with meaning.

Each piece is a world unto itself, yet each vibrates against that next so that a wonderful symphony is created in the reader's heart and mind.

I have found myself pondering Riddle Song long after finishing it. This is definitely a book to own.

This is a book of many delights. McClanahan's language is lyrical, down to earth and humorous. I find her voice clear-eyed, feisty and tender all at once, a mixture which gave me much pleasure. Her beautifully-structured essays are wrought by a fine intelligence which questions life in its own unique way; for example: "How do we navigate the spaces between ourselves and others?"

I felt that I was right there as the little girl dolls up her eccentric old aunt to go to church, or when the long-married woman packs up her beloved house to move into a new and unknown phase of life. I am especially grateful for McClanahan's exploration of loving un-motherhood by choice.

As I read I laughed often, cried more than once, and mused for days over a particular angle of perception of some human peculiarity. When I closed the book, I immediately started making a list of friends to whom I want to give it.

As I read the rememberings set fort in the Riddle Song, I felt honored to be invited into Rebecca McClanahan's world. McClanahan writes with an elegance and grace that give heft and scope to her brave honesty. I was surprised not to be able to put down a book that was not racing toward a dramatic finish, but I had trouble putting this book down. The Riddle Song is as lyrical as poetry or song and as intriguing as a novel of manners. Almost every page brought a tear or a smile to my face. I found myself caring very much for the characters in McClanahan's world. This is a special book and one I would recommend without hesitation.

I recommend this book to all who wish to read "rememberings" painted with words. It is one of the best books I have read, the writing is beautiful and puts you in the scene. The stories will bring back your own rememberings and you will get a true sense of the author and what shaped her life. As a poet, I recommend it to both poetry and prose writers as a study in the use of lanuage.

While taking an African American literature course in college I was introduced to this novella written by William Craft. It is a must-read for American and African American history classes. The novella is a quick and easy read, with the capacity for great discussion and in-depth analysis. Humor, suspense, mystery and action is all provided in this wonderful tale of escape and hypocrisey.

Ellen and William Craft were a young (mid-20's) slave couple who made a daring escape to freedom. Light-skinned Ellen cut her hair short and dressed in the suit and tophat of a white planter. Since she was illiterate, her husband William made a sling for her arm, so she had an excuse not to sign hotel registers. And since she had a womanly voice, the couple devised a poultice tied around her jaw indicating she had a bad toothache and could not speak. William played the role of his white massa's slave. And the couple traveled by train, steamship, and wagon to their destination in the north. They soon became popular lecturers in the United States and Europe. This is a remarkable story of daring and bravery and should be read by everyone. Anyone who wants to introduce their children to good historical fiction should get them The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave.

This book is a captivating account of the injustices of slavery and a amazing story of two fugitives running for there freedom. This book is a great story that should be taught in schools and should not be ignored in American History classes. It opened my mind to the horrors slavery actually caused. It represents a part of our history that should never be repeated. 5 plus stars.

I read this for a college history survey course before it was mistakenly announced that the book was out of print. The book was dropped from the syllabus, but I am glad I read it anyway.

The first and shortest part of the book is William Craft's powerful account of how he and his wife Ellen executed a daring escape from servitude in Georgia. Their plan was remarkable in its ingenuity: The almost white Ellen, outfitted with a master's clothes and a poultice on her face to prevent incriminating speech with strangers, and her husband William, disguised as a servant, escaped to freedom in the north. Travelling by rail, the pair exultantly crossed over into Canada and from thence headed for England.

The second part of the book is a third person summary of the couple's travels after their ambitious escape. It follows them from Georgia through the slave and free states, in which they were well received and protected (especially in Boston), up to Halifax and across the water to England. I found the final two thirds of the book the most enjoyable, as it treated of foreign travel, in which I have a keen interest. Both portions of the book are beautifully written and often gripping. I hope a few of my classmates read this before that announcement. This book is both pleasurable to read and historically vital.

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is a must read for all American history students and should be required reading at least at the high school level. This book gives the reader a first-person view of that "Peculiar Instition" known as slavery and to what lengths one will go to achieve personal freedom. This book will change your view of slavery forever.