News & Notes
Not That It Matters, But Would You Like to Know How I Looked at Age 30?
November 10th: I was at the local newspaper office today, and they were giving away old photos. There were piles and piles of them dating back to the '70s.
If you wanted to pick through and maybe find one of you or somebody you know (or knew) or an ex-wife or the like, you were welcome to do so. I found this one of me. That was before the bearded years (1980-87). Thought it was kind of neat, me with my stethoscope standing there in front of my Phi Beta Kappa certificate. Ah, to be 30 again....
Forthcoming Article on Charles E. Choate, Georgia Architect
Georgia Backroads magazine will feature in a forthcoming issue (probably Winter 2009) an article on Charles E. Choate, a very talented and prolific architect who designed and built hundreds of structures in Georgia, Florida and Alabama between
the 1890s and 1920s. His designs ranged from the most modest homes to the largest public buildings, and spanned a broad spectrum of American design styles. There is an unusual concentration his work in Washington County where I live, and this is the focus of the magazine piece. The local Chamber of Commere has a permanent dedicated Choate Room, with a huge amount of historic infomation on this most interesting man. They asked me to design some sort of a poster to publicize the exhibit, and I did. The poster is 24" wide by 36" high, and really quite colorful. If you'd like to purchase one, the cost is a nominal $10, plus $5 shipping (which is about what it actually costs for a mailing tube and postage). Send me a note via the "Contact Us" link above. You can also order directly from the Chamber of Commerce at 478-552-3288.
New Publisher
I am most pleased to announce that I have joined the growing list of Southern Authors represented by the Joggling Board Press of Charleston, South Carolina. JBP is an independent publishing company whose primary focus is producing and distributing quality works of fiction and non-fiction that emphasize the unique character and culture of the American Southeast. Their broad range of publications includes works on history, art, photography, science, architecture and fiction. I urge you to visit their website at
www.jogglingboardpress.com and sample their diverse range of offerings. I am honored to be a part of this fine organization and look forward to working with them in the future.
(Posted 3-30-09)
Old News--These are some items of past importance that you may still find of interest....
Listing on the Georgia Writers Registry I have been honored with selection by a review panel to be listed on the Georgia Writers Registry. The Registry is a program of the Georgia Council for the Arts, a State agency that for more than three decades has fulfilled its mission “to provide access to the arts for all Georgians.” The registry includes Poets, Playwrights, and Writers of Creative Non-Fiction and Fiction.
The purpose of the Georgia Writers Registry is to provide Georgia readers, teachers, librarians, students, citizens, corporate and public entities, community organizations, nonprofits, and others with an adjudicated listing of professional writers who are available for commissions, readings and consideration in other projects. As an approved member of the Registry, government and non-profit organizations may apply for funding in support of an author’s participation in literary events under the Literary Events Grants of Georgia program.
The Georgia Writers Registry is administered through the Center for Southern Literature at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. More information and a temporary listing of the Registry are available on their website at www.gwtw.org. The Margaret Mitchell House and Literary Center, located on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, are frequent sponsors of a wide array of literary and art-related events.
Harbor House, My Former Publisher, is Closing Its Doors
My four books in print were published by Harbor House, a small publishing house in Augusta, Georgia. In mid-September 2008, Randall Floyd, the publisher, informed me that he was "closing" Harbor House, citing bad economics and bad timing. This is unfortunate; a number of hard-working and talented authors will no longer have a place to call "home." Another downside is that Harbor House will no longer be distributing my books. I will be taking over that job for the time being. Please contact me if you have questions or would like to order any of my books in quantity.
A Little Travel Writing....
Those of you who know me are aware that one of my greatest passions is travel. I truly love exploring new places, and it is sometimes frustrating that I can't share my findings with more people. For many years I've written travel articles for newspapers and magazines. Click on the
Magazine Articles, etc. where you'll find them randomly mixed in with other things. And have a look at the Photo Gallery, too.
Rawlings “Strikes Gold” with Rutherford Cipher
Press Release for the Movie Option on The Rutherford Cipher:
AUGUSTA, Georgia — Hollywood producer David Hyman, who has recently worked on The West Wing, Cat in the Hat, Spanglish, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, has acquired the rights to The Rutherford Cipher, William Rawlings, Jr.’s best-selling novel published by Augusta-based Harbor House.
The movie deal is the latest milestone in the Sandersville author’s fast rise in the literary world since publication of his first novel in 2003, The Lazard Legacy. Last fall’s hit thriller, The Rutherford Cipher, weaves a tale about the lost Confederate gold and security lapses at the Savannah River Site.
The Tate Revenge, a murder mystery set in Paris and Georgia that has already garnered rave reviews, is set for release this fall.
Hyman, who has been attached to dozens of top box office hits in recent years, is currently out of the country filming his latest project, the horror film Monster House, which is scheduled to be released next year.
“I'm honored and excited to be working with David,” Rawlings said. “The fast-paced plot and vivid visual imagery of The Rutherford Cipher are the ingredients of a great movie, either on the big or small screen.”
Publisher Randall Floyd,a former screenwriter who has worked previously with Hollywood on a number of projects, characterized Hyman as one of the hardest-working people in Hollywood. He said it was only a matter of time before a director of Hyman’s stature discovered Rawlings.
“David Hyman possesses the ability to make great things happen,” Floyd said. “He’s not the first person in Hollywood to notice William’s work, but he’s the first to see the gold in it.”
Besides writing, Rawlings is a full-time physician and chairs the Board of the Governors at Mercer University’s School of Medicine. He is also president of the Sandersville Technical College Foundation Board and has diverse other business interests.
The Tate Revenge awarded Golden Eye Literary Award
December 2005 Press Release announcing the award:
AUGUSTA, Georgia — Harbor House has announced its selection of The Tate Revenge for this year’s Golden Eye Literary Prize. The award is given in honor of the literary legend and Georgia-born novelist Carson McCullers, and is named for McCullers’ Reflections in a Golden Eye. The award is given to authors of novels that demonstrate unusually compelling dramatic quality, social relevance and extraordinary literary merit.
Publisher Carrie McCullough said, “We here at Harbor House have had the pleasure of watching William Rawlings mature in his abilities as a writer. The Tate Revenge, his third novel, is proof of his dedication to the craft.”
The Tate Revenge is a tale of international art smuggling, Southern racist groups and romance wrapped around the timely and relevant possibility of a dirty bomb being detonated on U.S. soil. Rawlings is committed to accuracy in his vivid descriptions of the various locales to which his characters travel as well as to the plausibility of his villains’ methods. Thus The Tate Revenge is a chilling reminder of the constant danger of terrorism and the vulnerability of our sea ports.
Rawlings said, “I am deeply honored that my work was chosen to receive this coveted award. The world of adult fiction is a crowded one. While there are many good writers out there, recognition is rare. I extend my sincere thanks to the Committee, and those many others who have supported my writing career.”