Yeay Me!! Kind Of! Not Really. (Just Buy My Book Already)

Woo Hoo! The documentary in which I was the functional equivalent of "Waiter #2" was named one of The New York Times' Top 10 tv programs for 2011.

By the way, my credentials for that documentary are this. In paperback. Or your various Kindle-y, Nook-y (heh, nookie) things.

Freedom Riders, Emmys, and IMDB (Self Indulgence Alert)

Well, I've made the big time. As a result of my role in Freedom Riders, I now have an IMDB page. A barren, consequenceless IMDB page, but an IMDB page nonetheless.

But I've buried the lede. Freedom Riders has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, including "Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking," "Writing for Nonfiction Programming," and "Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming."

And a reminder that Freedom's Main Line is available in paperback.

Freedom's Main Line in Paperback! (Self Indulgence Alert!)

Freedom's Main Line is now available in paperback (or will be very, very soon). Order your copy today!

Brushes With Quasi-Fame (Self Indulgence Alert)

My Miller Center lecture is now available for viewing (or listening to) here.

The Newshour with Jim Lehrer also featured Freedom Riders on Monday (you can access the video and transcript through that link), and the clip they featured the other day included one of my appearances in the film (I'm in the documentary a dozen or so times total.)

UPDATED!! "Freedom Riders" Tonight

Don't Forget, you can see me on The American Experience: Freedom Riders on PBS tonight. It's on at 9 Eastern, 8 central in most markets. As they say, check your local listings for the original broadcast and re-showings.

Freedom's Main Line is out in paperback soon. Order your copy now!

Update: You should also check out this feature in The New York Times on the film's director, Stanley Nelson (not only a world-class documentarian, but a great man as well) and this piece on CNN exploring how the Freedom Riders might have influenced the new generation of Arab protest leaders.

The reviews have been pouring in as well. Yours truly gets mentioned in the San Antonio Express News and Popmatters.

[Crossposted]

I Was on Oprah Today (Kind Of)

Well, I would imagine most of you did not see it (I am out of town and so I didn't see it) but this morning Oprah's show featured the Freedom Riders. One of the clips she showed from Stanley Nelson's Freedom Riders documentary apparently featured yours truly.

Thanks to all of you who emailed and texted and Facebooked and Tweeted to let me know.

Hallelujah, I'm a Travelin'

I've been loading up on content this evening in part because I'll be heading out of town for about ten days tomorrow.

First I head to Chicago where on Friday (April 29) I'll be chairing a panel, sitting on another, and participating in an author's event for the Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary event this weekend. All events are at the Hyatt McCormick Place.

From there I fly to DC Saturday and will be heading to Charlottesville soon after. On Monday (May 2) I'll be giving a talk at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at UVA as part of their forum series. My talk is "Freedom's Main Line: The Freedom Rides at 50." My talk is at 11:00. I hope to see you at both events.

There is talk of another event in Washington next week, so I'll be sticking around until the weekend. If you are in Chicago or Charlottesville please come by.

And of course if you have not yet gotten your copy of Freedom's Main Line in hardcover, supplies actually are running low in the lead up to the release of the paperback.

[Crossposted]

Freedom Rides; Radiohead

I'm off to give a talk at Tarrant County College's Northeast Campus in Hurst, Texas (Dallas area) tomorrow from 12:30 to 1:30. If you're in the area, I'll be presenting "The Freedom Rides at 50."

In the meantime, you might have heard that Radiohead shocked even its most in-the-know fans by releasing their new album, King of Limbs, for early download last week. If you care about music even one tiny bit go get it now. It is freaking awesome.

Freedom Riders Documentary Odessa Premiere (Self Indulgence Alert)

UTPB will be hosting a West Texas premiere for Freedom Riders on Thursday, February 10 at 7:00 pm. The Odessa American had a nice little feature on the documentary and my role in it as did the Midland Reporter Telegram (though for the record both my wife and I are associate professors) for an event at Midland College on February 5.

Off to NYE Shenanigans

Over at the Foreign Policy Association's Africa Blog I have posted my annual "Year in Review."

I am traveling to New England today for eleven days of the Boston-New Hampshire access punctuated by New Year's shenanigans in Boston, a few days in the old hometown, and the American Historical Association annual meeting in Boston, where I am on a panel on the Freedom Rides that will take place before a showing of Freedom Riders. If you're in the Boston area, do swing on by. I'll even sign this if you have a copy. (Prediction: My shamelessness will extend into 2011!)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas Books (Self Indulgence Alert!)

The newest issue of the Claremont Review of Books has just been published. Scroll down and notice that heavy-hitter Michael Barone has reviewed Tom Bruscino's A Nation Forged In War. The review rightfully raves. It is hidden behind the subscriber firewall, hopefully just for the time being, but if there is one conservative publication you should be reading it's the Claremont Review. Its claptrap-to-seriousness rating passes muster and as far as I am concerned, the more places that take books seriously, the better.

Tom's book would make an excellent Christmas gift. And while we're at it, since 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides I hope you'll consider giving Freedom's Main Line as a gift (or buying it for yourself if you have not yet done so.) It's even available on Kindle.

Paperback Row (Self Indulgence Alert)

I got some good news recently. Yep -- paperback.

Freedom Riders -- Dallas Screening

Freedom Riders, the Stanley Nelson-directed documentary that yours truly appears in as a talking head, will be making its Texas debut (and, I believe, lone scheduled performance) at the Angelika Theater in Dallas tomorrow, September 23, at 8:00 as part of the Dallas Videofest. I'll be there, so if you are or can be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, please do try to find me.

And of course if you don't already own it, Freedom's Main Line is available in hardcover and as a Kindle download.

Freedom Riders Documentary Theatrical Debut

Just got this in my in-box today -- if you're going to be in LA or New York, check it out -- you might be able to see my ugly mug on the big screen. And of course I hope you have already read this . . .
FREEDOM RIDERS

OPENS FRIDAY!

NEW YORK CITY & LA!

IN PERSON!

PRODUCER LAURENS GRANT!

DIRECTOR STANLEY NELSON!

For Tickets & more info:

http://www.documentary.org/docuweeks2010

Follow Laurens on Twitter @LG789

Help spread the word & pack all 28 screenings!

Freedom Riders is accepted into DocuWeeks!

DocuWeeks is a theatrical showcase that helps documentaries qualify for the Oscars!

"Freedom Riders" is a superb

piece of filmic journalism

- Variety

view the trailer:

http://freedomridersfilm.com/

SHOW TIMES - AUG. 13 TO AUG. 19, 2010:

Producer Laurens Grant & Director Stanley Nelson In Person!

NEW YORK CITY

IFC Theater

323 Avenue of the Americas @ West 4th

NY, NY 10014

SHOW TIMES

Fri. Aug. 13: 12PM & 5:30PM

Sat. Aug. 14: 1:45PM & 7:30PM - Q&A w/ Director Stanley Nelson after 7:30pm show!

Sun. Aug. 15: 3:30PM & 9:35PM - Q&A w/ Director Stanley Nelson after 9:35pm show!

Mon. Aug. 16: 12PM & 5:30PM

Tues. Aug. 17: 1:45PM & 7:30PM - Q&A w/ Producer Laurens Grant after 7:30pm show!

Wed. Aug. 18: 3:30PM & 9:35PM - Q&A w/ Producer Laurens Grant after 9:35pm show!

Thu. Aug. 19: 12PM & 5:30PM

LOS ANGELES

ArcLight Hollywood

6360 W Sunset Blvd @ Vine Street

LA, CA 90028

SHOW TIMES

Fri. Aug. 13: 3:40PM & 9:45PM - Q&A with Producer Laurens Grant after 9:45pm show!

Sat. Aug. 14: 1:40PM & 7:35PM - Q&A with Producer Laurens Grant after 7:35pm show!

With two special guests from the film, including a Freedom Rider!

Sun. Aug. 15: 5:20PM & 9:50PM - Q&A w/ Producer Laurens Grant after 9:50pm show!

Mon. Aug. 16: 1:40PM & 7:35PM

Tues. Aug. 17: 5:20PM & 9:50PM

Wed. Aug. 18: 1:40PM & 7:35PM

Thu. Aug. 19: 5:20PM & 9:50PM

* * * * * *

FREEDOM RIDERS screens as part of the International Documentary Association [IDA]'s 14th annual DocuWeeks™, a documentary theatrical showcase designed to qualify films for consideration for the Academy Awards. This year's selected films is a strong lineup of 17 features and 5 shorts to screen in New York City and Los Angeles.

* * * * * *

FREEDOM RIDERS is scheduled to air on PBS' acclaimed American Experience series in May 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1961 freedom rides.

* * * * * *

FREEDOM RIDERS is the first feature-length documentary to tell the story of a courageous band of civil rights activists who risked death by daring to defy the laws of Jim Crow in the Deep South in 1961. They were America's first inter-racial and inter-religious mass movement to challenge segregation in bus and train facilities. Because of their efforts, the signs "whites only" and "colored only" were taken down forever.

Freedom Riders Preview (Self Indulgence Alert)

Yeah, I'd say this looks pretty awesome:

Given my small part in the documentary, I cannot wait to see the whole thing. If you are so inclined, you can always get a head start by reading this . . .

Ready For My Close Up! (Self Indulgence For Something I Did Not Really Accomplish Edition!)

A few weeks back I flew out to LA to play the role of talking head for a documentary on the Freedom Rides that The American Experience is producing with respected director Stanley Nelson at the helm. It was quite the opportunity, they treated me well, I got some good stories, and I hoped that it went well enough for me to get some face time for what was scheduled to be the 2011 release marking the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides. I was pleased to hear at the Southern Historical Association's annual meeting in Louisville that the rough cut of the documentary looks great and that as it stood at that point, a month or so ago, I will indeed get a little screen time.

I got even better news last week. Freedom Riders will be one of 16 documentaries (out of more than 860 submitted) and will makes its World Premiere in the US Documentaries Competition at next year's Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 21-31, 2010 in Park City, Utah. Obviously my participation has zero role in Freedom Riders being accepted for Sundance I (and may have been a detriment). Still, it's a nifty little thrill even to be associated with something like this. I guess it's time for me to get some head shots!

Time for My Close-Up: Self Indulgence Alert

If you are hanging around this weekend wishing something for brilliant and edifying to appear on your television, your prayers have been answered! C-Span 2's Book TV this weekend will feature some of the highlights of this year's Virginia Festival of the Book panels, including the one on the Civil Rights Movement on which I participated. The programming is scheduled to begin at noon, eastern time, on both Saturday and Sunday. It will be even better if you have a copy of Freedom's Main Line in front of you! (check out the price under new/used from Amazon's partner booksellers!)

Unabashed, Naked, Shameless Self-Indulgence Alert

At Amazon right now a handful of the booksellers are in something of a pricing war, which means that you can get a copy of Freedom's Main Line for less than $19. I have no idea if or how this counts toward my sales total, but it's a pretty good bargain for the cost-conscious book buyer. Act now, as the tv ads always say, this deal won't last forever! Or maybe it will. How would I know?

The First FML Review: Self Indulgence Alert

I received my first review (alas, already archived, so you'd have to pay for it) of Freedom's Main Line. The review appeared in the Chattanooga Free Press and is overwhelmingly positive, so I'm thrilled. The press will send out reviews and such once a month, so it would have been a real bummer to have to sit on a negative review for several weeks. here is the closing paragraph of the review:

Catsam, in compiling a fascinating history is not presenting solely black history or Southern history or civil rights history. he is presenting an ever-evolving American history, a concept underscored by the presentation of the book and reinforced by our recent election, which has presented us with a moment to look back and forward to the next stage of "Freedom's Main Line."

Yeah, I can live with that.

Virginia Festival of the Book (Self Indulgence Alert)

I will be participating in this year's Virginia Festival of the Book on a panel called "Stories from the Civil Rights Movement." My panel is on Thursday, March 19th, at noon at the UVA Bookstore. It probably goes without saying that I'll be promoting Freedom's Main Line. But I'll say it anyway. (And yeah, that's the worst picture ever.)