John Pruitt will be the Georgia Writer Museum’s (GWM’s) Meet the Author presenter Oct. 11, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start. Pruitt will be presenting on his new book Tell It True: A Novel. Admission is $35 per person or $30 each for two or more.
A graduate of Davidson College, Pruitt received an honorary doctorate degree in public service from Presbyterian College and has been inducted into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He is a 10-time Emmy-Award-winning news anchor/ reporter and has won five Sigma Delta Chi Quill Awards, the UPI award, the Georgia Winner Award for Public Service, Pioneer Broadcaster Award from the UGA Journalism School, the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences, and the Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting Award from DiGamma Kappa at the UGA Journalism School.
Pruitt will be discussing his new book, Tell It True: A Novel, based on the 1964 murders of Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn and two other Army reserve officers by KKK members, as they were driving near Athens from Georgia’s Fort Benning to Penn’s home in Washington, D.C.
What attracted you to write about this turbulent period of Georgia history?
Over a reporting career spanning half a century, no story had greater impact on me than the civil rights struggle. During my first month on the job, July 1964, an African American serviceman was murdered by Klansmen as he was driving through northeast Georgia.
The killing of Lemuel Penn underscored the fact that the newly signed Civil Rights Act could not stop racial hatred and violence.
Tell It True fictionalizes this horrific crime, bringing together a cast of characters— lawmen, politicians, civil rights leaders, and journalists—who must deal with its aftermath.
It’s a story I’ve always wanted to write about in novel form.
You are renowned as a TV newscaster. How did your years as an anchorman help you as an author?
Whether on the anchor desk or in the field I’ve always loved reporting. My job put me on the scene of so many different stories and in contact with so many people over the years that I had a full palette of scenes and characters I could bring to life.
Who is your favorite author and why?
For non-fiction, David McCollough for his ability to make history come alive.
For fiction, Pat Conroy for his lyrical descriptions of our magnificent southeastern coastline.
What can you say about your writing process?
I don’t write on a schedule; I write when I can. I have certain plot parameters, but I don’t outline or necessarily map out where I’m going.
I create characters, give them a cosmos, and let them determine where the story goes. I am often amazed by where they lead me. The hard part of writing is always trimming it down to the right size.
What piece of advice have you gleaned from any other authors that helped you in your writing?
I am fortunate to have great writers who were willing to help me along the way. Terry Kay, Philip Lee Williams, and Steve Oney were all so gracious in guiding me along the novice’s path to publication. One piece of advice from Steve was key to my efforts.
He urged me to find ways to make my characters “quirky.”
I took that advice to heart and readers will judge the results.
Are you working on a new book? Can you give a sneak preview?
I’m thinking about a sequel to Tell It True. My main characters, Gil and Mindy, will leave readers wondering what’s next for them, and I do have some ideas.
Contact Georgia Writers Museum at www. georgiawritersmuseum.org to register for this special event and to pre-order a copy of Tell it True for a book signing by Pruitt following his talk.
– Contributed