Revisions: slow and sure, that’s the name of the game at the moment. I have only two rejections under my belt so you know I have a ways to go yet. The second rejection came with helpful feedback, which I’m considering as I rewrite. Thought you might be interested in seeing three books that have proven to be indispensable in researching the SNCC Movement in southwest Georgia:
I first saw Hands on the Freedom Plow in the Albany State University bookstore last June while home for the 50 anniversary of the SNCC Movement, although I bought it later from Rutha Harris when I visited her home. Rutha is one of the contributors along with Diane Nash, Annette Jones White, Penny Patch, Bernice Johnson Reagon and 47 other women, (to quote the book jacket): “northern and southern, young and old, urban and rural, black, white, and Latina [who] share their courageous personal stories of working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement.” Available from the University of Illinois Press.
Bought this directly from editor, Peter De Lissovoy in the lobby of Hyper Gym during the SNCC anniversary. Peter is the white guy on the right next to his dear friend, the late Randy Battle. Dennis Roberts contributed and was at the vendor table with Peter, both spoke on panels during the celebration. Also met another contributor, playwright Curtis Williams and learned that he knew my late sister, Betty.
In The Great Pool Jump I’m finding priceless details, color and flavor of the time and place. I’m so grateful to Peter et al for this book. $24 available from Peter. Comment here if you’d like to buy a copy.
Peter De Lissovoy was tickled when I told him I owned a copy of his 1970s novel, Feelgood ~ A Trip In Time and Out, his fictional account of the time he spent in southwest Georgia during the 60s, after leaving the ivy halls of Harvard to work in the SNCC movement. I know of no other work of fiction coming directly out of that time and place. How lucky we are that Pete chose to be our eyes and ears for this piece of American history. Thanks, Pete! (As you may know, he’s following the blog closely!)
Hey Anita
First of all stick to it, you have the talent, obviously a yearning and more important your heart is in the right place. I truly expect to see my homegirl tell our story in a way that only people who came from this very unique city can.
i use the word unique , because of your topic. The SNCC has a lot of history in Albany Ga. as does the Freedom Riders.It brings back memeories when I was a little kid as yourself of watching a transformation of something and not knowing exactly what was occurring, but somehow had the feeling that change was coming. You felt this change from reading the Albany Herald watching HUntley/Brinkley nightly news, our CNN version at the time . We also had the Southwest Georgian with lets just say not the best quality pictures , but Mr. Searles was invaluable to our community in so many ways. We also had the small version of Jet which started out as a pocket size in black and white. Jet use to carry some grizzly stories, but it could also be counted on to give you the news of what Negros were doing up North. Any time you left Albany I don’t care where you went they said he or she had went up north.You also felt by listening to the old people gather on the front porchs making quilts, with the men in back yard sneaking in a few libations. Sometimes the grandmothers would have us to help snap the green beans, shuck corn and such, you didn’t mind because you knew you a treat of a dinner coming up.
Before I digress too much, back to the topic, Anita there were 3 sisters who lived in the 6 points area. Their last name was Christians,the youngest around my age was Jane Zena, her older sisters were Joann and the other one I can’t recall her name But she was the most militant, maybe some of your readers will help. Anyhow the older sisters , I wll bet money got arrested more than anyone in Albany Ga. for marching in the civil rights struggle. They would get out of jail and go right back the next day. You would rarely see them 2 weeks in a row, if you did it was because there were no marches planned.Albany Ga was main fixture on the 6 pm national nightly news because of the epic battle being waged there. The old peole worried deeply about the sisters because they knew they were in the thick of it.
The uniform of the day were overalls, that I remember very clearly. I so much wanted to march but couldn’t because I was told I was too young. But I did anyhow , one day got into a little trouble but it was worth it. Did not get a butt whipping but told in a caring manner not to do it again. My grandmother knew my niece Linda and I had marched, when we walked in the house she said you too have been marching huh, we said yes. And she voiced her concern and very shortly the news came on , and the people we had just marched with had decided to march again because no one got arrested and I think they were a little bit insulted by that, so they marched again and got arrested.
The name Freedom Riders and SNCC would make the Albany Police dept , led by Chief Laurie Pritchet go to high alert. The Trailways bus station in Harlem would have police stationed there all day in case some of those trouble makers form ” Up North” got off the bus . It didn’t matter if they black or white , if they looked like they were from up noth , they would get arrested. A lot of times the police would be there all day and no one came . The old people would hear about it and say the Movement had gave the police the wrong information. There was a sense of pride and they got a big chuckle out of knowing the Negroes had tricked Chief Pritchett.
These are some of my memories as kid a kid Anita, there a lot more which I will share with you, because I feel you are the one to tell our story in your own unique way about our own unique city. I have mixed feeling about what I wanted to happen in Albany and what actually happened. In a lot of ways it is dissapointing, but not because of the effort that black people put forward, but because of a Jim Crow mindset that was determined to keep us in our place. We still see some of that stinking thinking in the disrespectful manner our Presdient is spoken of. But as a famous man out of Atlanta once remarked I have a dream, and that is something no one can take from me,I’m out. Peace Fonzo
Anita, thanks for the plugs and glad you liked those books! Quite a surprise. Pretty nice of you! Also, everybody should read the southwest Georgia section of Hands on the Freedom Plow—they are some powerful stories and readers will be knocked out by them, I positively guarantee. I’m glad you have developed “an attitude” toward rejections. That is essential. Any such reactions “can never take away your joy,” as the Bible says. They are ephemeral “outside opinions” and do not touch your reality. I think writing is an act of discovery that goes hand in hand with your living your life. In our society we are always in a hurry to “finish” something. But there is a higher meaning of “finish”–to bring to higher tone, to perfect. I think we should all be hoping things — writing or anything else — get “finished” exactly when they are supposed to, according to a higher plan–the way a peach ripens on a tree! For us it requires a struggle, but like other things, it’s important to not forget God’s plan in this as in all else, and not to take things too personally.