Former President of Strong Museum Releases 2nd Edition of “South of Little Rock”

George Rollie Adams, former president of the Strong National Museum of Play, releases second edition of "South of Little Rock", an award-winning novel focusing on social issues in 1957 rural Arkansas.

Rochester, United States - October 8, 2019 /PressCable/ —

Rochester, NY-

What can social movements of the past teach about today’s socially charged climate? Within the past year, “South of Little Rock”, a novel by George Rollie Adams, Ph.D., historian, and former president of the Strong National Museum of Play, has received four regional and social-issue fiction awards for examining that question. A second edition of the book is now available. “South of Little Rock” is a powerful story of race, family, and the struggle of love and courage against fear and hate in a small town in southern Arkansas adjusting to desegregation and social change in 1957. Adams- author, co-author, and co-editor of nonfiction books on American history- grew up in Southern Arkansas.

“South of Little Rock” is remarkably relevant to the issues of today” says Charles Phillips, coauthor of “What Every American Needs to Know about American History”. “Through vivid descriptions and intelligent dialogue, it explores the racial tensions of the 1950’s in a way that speaks to a modern audience”.

Set in fictional Unionville, Arkansas, “South of Little Rock” unfolds amid social unrest and the national crisis that Governor Orval Faubus creates when he decides to resist the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School and thereby forces President Dwight Eisenhower to send federal soldiers to enforce it. Sam Tate, a councilman, merchant, and widower tries to navigate his family through these trying times, putting him at odds with the town’s newspaper editor and other outspoken opponents of integration. Tate finds surprising allies and companions, including a hard-headed woman recently arrived from the North to teach at the elementary school. Amid the turmoil, Tate works to teach his children right and wrong in a town where the likelihood of change pits its citizens against each other and the threat of social violence always hovers.

“Adams creates realistic characters and dialogue like a master playwright,” says Don Daglow, Emmy-winning video-game designer and author of the award-winning novel “The Fog Seller”. “His story is driven by the unique and multi-layered residents of Unionville, making its grand and important themes seem personal, and intimate.”

Says Adams, “Growing up in Arkansas and later teaching there, I saw and heard firsthand the arguments for and against social change, and I saw how the coming of it heightened tensions between the races and among white citizens who held diverging views. But I also saw ways in which social change brought people together, how it caused some to see in new ways, and how it gave hope to many, black and white. That’s the spirit I tried to capture in “South of Little Rock”, and it’s something we all can use more of today.”

“South of Little Rock” (second edition) published by Barn Loft Press, is available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats from Amazon and other major book outlets. Review copies are available upon request. For more information, visit https://georgerollieadamsbooks.com.

About George Rollie Adams”

Adams is an educator, historian, author, and museum professional. As president and CEO of The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, from 1987 through 2016, Adams led the development of the world’s first collections-based history museum devoted solely to the study of play and its critical role in learning and human development and the ways in which play illuminates cultural history. Adams grew up in southern Arkansas, received a bachelor’s degree in social science education and English from Louisiana Tech University, and taught history for four years at El Dorado, Arkansas, High School while also earning a master’s degree in education from Louisiana Tech University. He holds a doctorate in American history from the University of Arizona and is the founding editor in chief of the” American Journal of Play” and the author of “General William S. Harney: Prince of Dragoons”, a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Book Award.

Contact: Barn Loft Press, https://[email protected].

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Name: Keri Barnum
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Organization: New Shelves Books
Address: 595 Blossom Road Suite 301 A, Rochester, New York 14610, United States
Website: https://www.newshelves.com/

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 88926341