We had a party Monday night to celebrate the publication of "The Class of '65" at Manuel's, the grand old tavern that has been a gathering place for Atlanta journalists since the 1950s. Another overflow crowd came out, most of them colleagues from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- including Diane Lore, a former editor of mine, whose daughter Emmie (seen here with me) is an aspiring writer who wanted to observe a book signing. Emmie is writing a novel about a dog that's part robot. I can relate; I live with a cat that's part couch. It was a lovely evening, and I was especially glad to see Dallas Lee, another former editor of mine, who lived at Koinonia during the late 1960s and wrote a lively biography of Clarence Jordan, "The Cotton Patch Evidence." Thanks to my pals Ralph Ellis and Susan Puckett for hosting the event, to Frank Reiss and A Cappella Books for moving the merch again, to all my friends from the newspaper and elsewhere who attended -- and to Manuel's for being Manuel's. And special thanks to my wife, Pamela Brown Auchmutey, whose birthday was Monday. The occasion was duly noted with a song and a cake, which tasted very sweet after all that beer.
Forgiveness? Yeah, right ...
It's interesting to see how readers react to "The Class of '65." Salon, the online news and current events magazine, ran an excerpt of the book this weekend and named it as an editor's pick. They chose the Prologue, in which Greg Wittkamper receives apology letters from former classmates who were party to his persecution and debates whether to return for their reunion. One reader (PoodlePlay) said that he should return, but only for the 110th reunion in 2065. "I wouldn't go back, period," another reader (Leels) commented. "Let them wallow in their guilt and small-mindedness." Others were more receptive to the forgiveness theme. "That was fantastic and heartbreaking to read," said Patricia Schwarz. "What a powerful, emotional, enraging, but somewhat hopeful column this was!" wrote Lonestarr783, who also wondered what happened to Greg's black classmates who desegregated Americus High School. Read on, Lonestarr; it's in the Epilogue.
Right there with the paper towels
Stacks of "The Class of '65" have been spotted at Costco stores in several cities, such as this one in Atlanta. (My friend Robert Coram sent this lovely still life.) When I think about warehouse stores, I think about their impressive array of paper goods: T.P., napkins, paper towels -- and now my book! I feel honored to be part of the lineup. Let's justify Costco's faith in the written word: If you need to stock up on staples at your favorite big box retailer, don't forget the reading material.
Yakety-yak
See that man with his mouth ajar? He sure has been talking a lot lately. In the past two weeks, Jim Auchmutey (otherwise known as "Authorus Blabberus") has given five talks about his new book, "The Class of '65," with many more to come. Switching to first person now: I'd like to thank the Atlanta Prime Timers (especially Richard Rhodes), the West End Rotary Club (special thanks to John Ingersoll), and the Georgia State University history department (ditto to Clifford Kuhn) for inviting me to speak, listening with genuine interest -- and for buying some books. I've added a Power Point slide show and am getting to where I hardly have to consult notes anymore. My wife and siblings have always known I like to talk, but this is getting downright Toastmasterish.
Memorable voices
One of the best pieces done about "The Class of '65" during its publication week was the radio show "Two Way Street," aired over Easter weekend on 17 stations of the Georgia Public Broadcasting network. Host Bill Nigut had the inspired idea of augmenting the usual author interview with comments from Tom Key, the Atlanta actor who wrote "The Cotton Patch Gospel" and has performed it for years. The musical is based on the writings of Clarence Jordan, the co-founder of Koinonia and a looming figure in the new book, whose "Cotton Patch" versions of the New Testament retold the gospel story in mid-20th century Georgia, starting with the birth of Jesus in Gainesville. They laid the babe, not in a manger, but in an apple crate. If you didn't hear it live, GPB has posted the program on its web site (link below). It's a fine introduction to Koinonia, the place that molded Greg Wittkamper and laid the foundation for the moral conflicts at the heart of "The Class of '65."