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Books and Novels

“30 Days A Black Man” reflects on the dangerous trailblazing work of a White reporter posing as a Black man in the segregated South

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PITTSBURGH /PRNewswire/ — As we celebrate Black History Month, we take an important look back at what life was like during the Jim Crow period. Bill Steigerwald’s startling book, 30 Days A Black Man, takes us back to 1948 in the Deep South. While the year is now 2023, we are not far removed from the extreme racism of that time. Let’s look back, lest we forget…

“I quit being white, and free, and an American citizen when I climbed aboard that Jim Crow coach…I was Black, and in bondage – not quite slavery but not quite freedom, either.” – Ray Sprigle, 1948

30 Days A Black Man recounts the story of Ray Sprigle, a star reporter for the Post-Gazette – and he was White. Sprigle made the audacious choice to disguise himself as a Black man for 30 days and traveled alongside John Wesley Dobbs, a Black civil rights pioneer from Atlanta. His purpose: to experience what it was really like to be Black living in the South, and to bring greater awareness to the injustices Black people lived through daily.

Bill Steigerwald provides a vivid account of Sprigle’s journey. Sprigle witnessed the injustices faced by Black leaders, sharecroppers and family members of lynching victims; saw the inequities in education; and encountered a separate set of rules Black people had to follow under Jim Crow, such as: sitting in the back seat of vehicles; never calling a white man by his name, but calling him “mister”; or being prohibited from trying on clothes in a clothing store. He opened the eyes of White people in the North who were unaware of the unfair practices against Black people in the South.

30 Days A Black Mana retelling of Sprigle’s encounters with racism, reminds us all to be vigilant in our efforts to seek justice for all people. Released in 2017, the book is relevant today as America continues to experience racial tension.

“Ray Sprigle and Bill Steigerwald were both reporters for the Post-Gazette. 30 Days A Black Man is an important resource as we dialogue about race in America and continue to work toward justice,” says John Block, publisher of the Toledo Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Sprigle’s descriptions and undisguised outrage at “the iniquitous Jim Crow system” shocked the North, enraged the South, and ignited the first national debate in the media about ending America’s system of apartheid. Six years before Brown v. Board of Education, seven years before the murder of Emmett Till, and thirteen years before John Howard Griffin’s similar experiment became the bestseller Black Like Me, Sprigle’s intrepid journalism blasted into the American consciousness the grim reality of black lives in the South.

30 Days A Black Man by Bill Steigerwald is available on Amazon.

About Block Communications:
Block Communications, Inc., (BCI) is a 118-year-old privately held diversified media holding company headquartered in Toledo, OH. It has primary operations in cable television, newspaper publishing, high-speed Internet and residential telephone services. Publications owned by Block Communications, Inc. include The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Toledo Blade.

SOURCE Block Communications

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Books and Novels

Retired Teacher and Acclaimed Filmmaker Launch GoFundMe Campaign to Complete Film Version of “Lucy and the Lake Monster”

Teacher and Filmmaker Launch GoFundMe to Complete Film Version of Lucy and the Lake Monster. Help Bring Children’s Classic to Life With Year-End Contribution

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LAKE CHAMPLAIN, NY, UNITED STATES /EINPresswire.com/ — Children face countless challenges today. Can a book and film help? Retired Greenville County Schools teacher Kelly Tabor Cromer and filmmaker Richard Rossi certainly think so. Following the success of their children’s book, “Lucy and the Lake Monster,” the duo recently announced a GoFundMe campaign to finish and distribute its indie film adaptation, whose aim is to combat the serious problem of bullying. Using their combined creative skills to address bullying, the hope is that “Lucy and the Lake Monster” can help make the world a better place.


Do you love a good story? Do you believe a good teacher can make a difference? If you answered ‘yes-amundo’ to any of these questions, then this GoFundMe is for you!”


— Richard Rossi


The narrative follows Lucy Lago, a nine-year-old orphan living by Lake Champlain who believes in the existence of Champ, the Lake Champlain Sea Serpent. Despite mockery and opposition, Lucy and her grandpa embark on a journey to bring awareness of America’s Loch Ness Monster to the world, teaching valuable lessons about overcoming mental health challenges with childlike faith.


Bring “Lucy & the Lake Monster” to Life!

When Kelly Tabor was growing up near Lake Champlain in Crown Point, New York, she heard lots of stories about Champ, the Lake Champlain monster. She’s regaled her students with tales of the mysterious creature that lurks in the cold, murky waters of Lake Champlain.

“My students were fascinated,” she said. “I love telling them Champ stories.”


Introducing the book ‘Lucy & the Lake Monster’: Dive into a thrilling underwater adventure with Lucy as she unravels the mystery!

BOOK, MOVIE

Her storytelling caught the attention of Hollywood producer/director Richard Rossi, who suggested both a book series and a film series loosely based on Tabor’s childhood adventures.

“I wanted to tell the story through the eyes of a believer,” Rossi said. “It’s the power of oral storytelling. Years later her (Tabor’s) students still remember the Champ stories.”

Rossi, the director of the upcoming children’s indie film, expressed the importance of this project in addressing critical issues children face today. “Do you agree that children today face stressful situations and need positive role models? Do you hate bullying? Do you love a good story? Do you believe a good teacher can make a difference? If you answered ‘yes-amundo’ to any of these questions, then this GoFundMe is for you!”

As frightening statistics reveal how widespread bullying is and how many kids it hurts across the globe, the need for projects like “Lucy and the Lake Monster” that support children’s confidence and mental health is obvious and helps explain the success of the book. “Lucy & the Lake Monster” is available in paperback and eBook versions at Amazon.com and the Barnes and Noble and Walmart online store.

For more information on the project, be sure to visit https://www.lucyandthelakemonster.com.

Year-end donations large or small are tax-deductible. Support the “Lucy & the Lake Monster” GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/44d0dcac

“A generous donor has pledged to match $8765 of year-end contributions,” Rossi said. “So we need your help to raise another $8765! So far we have raised $1235 toward our goal. Thank you for all the support so far and making year-end donations.”


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Source: Eternal Grace

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Books and Novels

Recommended Books For Christmas Gifts By Bestselling Author Donna Fletcher Crow – New Releases, Jane Austen, Kishanda Fulford And More

Crow writes meticulously researched, entertaining novels of romance, history, adventure and mystery in an engaging you-are-there style that allows readers to live the history. Reviewers have compared her work with PD James, Dan Brown and Barbara Pym.

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Donna Fletcher Crow

WILMINGTON, NC /24-7PressRelease/ — Award winning author Donna Fletcher Crow just released her recommendations for the best books for Christmas gifts. In a post on her site, she stated in part:

It should be easy, shouldn’t it? Everyone knows books make great gifts, so that should be all you need to know for your friend who loves to read. Right?

Wrong. Choosing the right gift for a booklover can be one of the trickiest challenges of the season.

As Oliver Darkshire warns in his delightful book Once Upon a Tome, The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller: ‘Purchasing a book for someone isn’t like running to the shop and picking up a box of decorative soaps, or a bottle of wine. You can’t just take a stab in the dark and hope for the best. In the best-case scenario, a well-chosen book shows just how intimately you know a person, their interests, their politics…their very sense of self. In the worst case, it can show that you barely have any interest in who they are.’

Of course, one concern in choosing a gift for an avid reader is finding a book they haven’t already read. Fortunately, I have a new title out this month, so I have a ready offering I know my friends won’t have read yet. ‘Going There, Tales from the Riviera and Beyond’ even offers a special full-color, hardback gift edition for the special someone who loves to travel, likes mystery stories, and and perhaps just happens to be a Francophile.

Other recommendations offered by Crow:

“For those who love history I also have a special collection of Christmas short stories based on scenes from my various historical series: ‘A Lighted Lamp, Scenes of Christmas Through Time.’

“For those who love history and true stories of strong women Kishanda Fulford’s extensively researched book ‘The Spite of Fortune’, is an account of her husband’s ancestress, the intrepid 18th-Century Heiress Louisa Carolina Colleton.

“And for the Jane Austen lovers on your list, especially those fans of the wonderful Sanditon television series, there is ‘Sanditon’, as rewritten by Kate Riorden with a foreword by Andrew Davies for the television version.”

The full text of the piece with more recommendations is available at Crow’s website at https://donnafletchercrow.com/p/507/Christmas-Shopping-for-Booklovers … d-and-More.

Crow said in a recent interview, “I love giving books because I know I’m giving so much more than just an object. I’m giving that friend an experience. Books expand our experience, they take us to places we’ve never been before, or let us revisit favorite locations on the map or in our minds. Books give us valuable information or provide a much-needed distraction. And as has been pointed out before, they are not-fattening. What could possibly make a better gift?”

Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 50 books, mostly novels of British history. She has taken a number of high-level industry awards for her work. Many of her books have been bestsellers in their categories, including ‘A Most Inconvenient Death’, which achieved #1 bestseller status in Christian Suspense. ‘The Fields of Bannockburn’, the epic from which The Celtic Cross Series, Part I: Scotland, The Struggle for a Nation is based, was listed as Fiction Bestseller by Christian Book Distributors and ‘The Banks of the Boyne’, the epic from which The Celtic Cross Series, Part II: Ireland, The Pursuit of Peace is based, hit #3 Best-Selling Fiction.

Her latest release is, ‘Going There, Tales from the Riviera and Beyond’. In the summer of 2021 amidst a world-wide pandemic, Donna, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter managed to slip through a narrow window of calm for a remarkable journey to France and Switzerland. And much to Donna’s surprise and delight, she was accompanied on the undertaking by characters from her mystery series—who had adventures of their own. This book, scheduled to be available December 1, 2023, is an account of a memorable travel experience in the real world and the fictional. It takes the reader to places physical and imaginary.

The 10-volume Celtic Cross series covers the history of Scotland and Ireland. The leading historic figures of the day interact with fictional characters to bring the stirring events alive. Each epoch is tied to the series with the on-going events in the lives of modern young people as old wars and current conflicts keep them striving to find answers that provide hope for the future. The series is comprised of 10 novels. ‘The Keeper of the Stone,’ book 1 in the series was #1 on Amazon for Historical Scottish fiction.

The Daughters of Courage, ‘Kathryn’, ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Stephanie’ is a pioneer family saga based on the stories of Crow’s own family and other Idaho pioneers in the Kuna, Nampa and Boise area.

‘Glastonbury’ is her best-known book, which received the prestigious First Place, Historical Novel, award from the National Federation of Press Women. Readers and reviewers have raved about ‘Glastonbury’, calling it “The best of its kind,” “richly fascinating,” “beautifully researched,” “gloriously evocative,” and “panoramic.” One Amazon reader said, “WHAT a work! Every reader can be enveloped in the sheer scope and quality, every historian be constantly nodding at the precise detail and accuracy, and every Christian can rejoice in the fullness of scripture. For me it is simply beyond descriptive praise. I would urge all who value truth to treat themselves to a feast.”

The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries is a literary suspense series using literary figures as background: Rudyard Kipling in ‘The Flame Ignites’, Dorothy L Sayers in ‘The Shadow of Reality’, Shakespeare in ‘A Midsummer Eve’s Nightmare’, and Jane Austen in both ‘A Jane Austen Encounter’ and ‘A Most Singular Venture’. Watch for ‘A Prodigious Sum of Corpses: Seeking Sanditon at Jane Austen’s Seashore’, which will take readers to all of Austen’s favorite seashore resorts. Accounts of Crow’s visits to these sites are available on her blog under the heading “Jane Austen Seashore Tour.”

The Monastery Murders Series features atmospheric contemporary crimes with their roots buried deep in the middle ages. Books in the series include ‘A Very Private Grave’, ‘A Darkly Hidden Truth’, ‘An Unholy Communion’, ‘A Newly Crimsoned Reliquary’, ‘An All-Consuming Fire’ and the newly-released ‘Against All Fierce Hostility.’

Where There is Love is a 6-book series of the enduring legacy of love and faith all based on historic people and events. The titles are: ‘Where Love Begins’, ‘Where Love Illumines’, ‘Where Love Triumphs’, ‘Where Love Restores’, ‘Where Love Shines’, and ‘Where Love Calls’.

The Lord Danvers Victorian true-crime series is an Amazon bestseller in the British Detectives category. Books in the series include ‘A Lethal Spectre’, ‘A Most Inconvenient Death’, ‘Grave Matters’, ‘To Dust You Shall Return’ and ‘A Tincture of Murder’. Donna provides a no-charge download of ‘A Tincture of Murder’ for those who sign up for her newsletter. More information is available at her website.

Donna Fletcher Crow’s awards include:

The Dawning Of Peace, of Dreamers and Designers, Book Excellence Award 2023
Where Love Begins, Best Historical Romance, Pinnacle Awards 2019
A Lethal Spectre, Best Mystery, Pinnacle Awards, 2019
Glastonbury, First Place, Historical Fiction, National Federation of Press Women Award of Merit
The Banks of the Boyne, Silver Angel; First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
The Fields of Bannockburn, First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
Professional Achievement Award, Northwest Nazarene College
Juvenile Books Award of Merit, Idaho Press Women
Top Idaho Author
Pacesetter Award, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference
Outstanding Historical Fiction, Idaho Press Women, National Federation of Press Women,
Idaho Writer of the Year
Best Inspirational Novel, Finalist Romance Writers of America
Writer of the Year, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference

Donna is available for media interviews and can be reached by email at donna@donnafletchercrow.com. All of her books are available at online book retailers. More information, including a no-charge download of ‘A Tincture of Murder’, is available at her website at https://www.donnafletchercrow.com.



About Donna Fletcher Crow:

Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren living on 3 continents. Donna is a former English literature teacher and lifelong Anglophile. Idahoans with long memories will remember her as a former Queen of the Snake River Stampede, Miss Rodeo Idaho and runner-up for Miss Rodeo America. She is an enthusiastic gardener.

Source: Donna Fletcher Crow

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actors & performers

TIME Names the 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift

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NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, TIME names Taylor Swift the 2023 Person of the Year.

time.com/poy
#TIMEPOY



TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs writes, “The [TIME Person of the Year] has typically been a ruler over traditional domains of power…very often a politician or a titan of industry…And yet the person whose singular influence was revealed throughout 2023 has held none of these roles—or anything remotely similar….much of what Swift accomplished in 2023 exists beyond measurement. She mapped her journey and shared the results with the world: She committed to validating the dreams, feelings, and experiences of people, especially women, who felt overlooked and regularly underestimated.”

Jacobs continues, “For building a world of her own that made a place for so many, for spinning her story into a global legend, for bringing joy to a society desperately in need of it, Taylor Swift is TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year.”

Swift is the first figure from the arts to be named Person of the Year for her success as an entertainer.

Jacobs on The Choice: https://bit.ly/4aiD3R8
Read the cover story: time.com/person-of-the-year

In the cover story, which features an exclusive interview with Swift— her first in-depth conversation in nearly four years—TIME’s Sam Lansky writes, “This was the year she perfected her craft—not just with her music, but in her position as the master storyteller of the modern era. The world, in turn, watched, clicked, cried, danced, sang along, swooned, caravanned to stadiums and movie theaters, let her work soundtrack their lives.”

Highlights from TIME’s exclusive interview with Taylor Swift:

On taking a few hits in her career, Taylor Swift tells TIME, “I’ve been raised up and down the flagpole of public opinion so many times in the last 20 years…I’ve been given a tiara, then had it taken away.”

On her year in 2023: “It feels like the breakthrough moment of my career, happening at 33…And for the first time in my life, I was mentally tough enough to take what comes with that….This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been.”

On training for The Eras Tour: “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud…Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs…Then I had three months of dance training, because I wanted to get it in my bones…I wanted to be so over-rehearsed that I could be silly with the fans, and not lose my train of thought.”

On how fame is a seesaw: “Nothing is permanent…So I’m very careful to be grateful every second that I get to be doing this at this level, because I’ve had it taken away from me before. There is one thing I’ve learned: My response to anything that happens, good or bad, is to keep making things. Keep making art.”

On life in the public eye: “Over the years, I’ve learned I don’t have the time or bandwidth to get pressed about things that don’t matter. Yes, if I go out to dinner, there’s going to be a whole chaotic situation outside the restaurant. But I still want to go to dinner with my friends…Life is short. Have adventures. Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years—I’ll never get that time back. I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”

Read more from the interview and explore related content: time.com/person-of-the-year

“TIME’s mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape the world and Person of the Year recognizes the individual or group that shaped the year. We are thrilled to recognize Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift, who had a monumental year and epitomizes global influence, as the TIME Person of the Year,” said TIME’s Chief Executive Officer Jessica Sibley. “We look forward to celebrating leadership and impact in 2023 at our ‘A Year in TIME’ celebration with leaders and visionaries from the TIME community and our partners at American Family Insurance, Smartsheet, The Macallan and Ally.”

Ally is the Media Partner of TIME Person of the Year.

All three cover editions are available for purchase now from Time.com and through a first-time partnership with Flowcode. Subscriptions ordered through December 31 are guaranteed to receive the 2023 TIME Person of the Year issue. The issue will be available on newsstands beginning on Friday, December 15. Select cover prints from the People of the Year issue will also be available through TIME’s Cover Store.

More on Time.com:
How TIME Created the Person of the Year Issue
The Inspiration Behind Inez and Vinoodh’s Taylor Swift TIME Person of the Year Covers
How Taylor Swift Makes History as Person of the Year

TIME NAMES THE 2023 CEO, ATHLETE AND BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: 

CEO OF THE YEAR – Sam Altman
https://bit.ly/3Tcg2sJ 

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Lionel Messi
https://bit.ly/3Ner7FQ 

BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR – Alex Newell
https://bit.ly/3RsgUYZ 

See the covers: https://bit.ly/47JzJwv

PLUS: Through branded content partnerships, TIME Names: 

DREAMER OF THE YEAR – Syd Kitson
In partnership with American Family Insurance

TEAM OF THE YEAR – HP’s Social Impact Team
In partnership with Smartsheet

TIME TO HOST ‘A YEAR IN TIME’ EVENT IN NEW YORK CITY: 

This month, TIME will host A Year in TIME celebration in New York City to celebrate leadership and impact in 2023.

The event is presented by Premier Partner American Family Insurance, Signature Partner Smartsheet and Supporting Partner The Macallan.

About TIME     
TIME is the 100-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of over 120 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME’s mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios; a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families; the award-winning branded content studio Red Border Studios; an industry-leading web3 division; the website-building platform TIME Sites; the sustainability and climate action division TIME CO2; the new e-commerce and content platform TIME Stamped, and more.

SOURCE TIME

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