Atlanta, GA — The Atlanta History Center is ringing in 2021 with a series of virtual Author Talks featuring Atlanta-based authors, breakout works of memoir and history, stories of the Civil Rights Movement, and more, a press release says.

Virtual Talks are presented via Zoom Webinar and are free and available to the public. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Atlanta History Center began offering virtual talks in April 2020, and has presented more than 50 talks so far. A Cappella Books, FoxTale Book Shoppe, and Charis Books & More are the booksellers for this series.

January 2021 Talks

Marie Benedict in conversation with GPB’s Virginia Prescott, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

January 6, 2021 at 7 p.m., Zoom Webinar

In her latest novel, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict explores the eleven-day disappearance of acclaimed mystery writer Agatha Christie. Mrs. Christie mysteriously disappeared in December 1926, throwing England into a nationwide hunt for the author until she reemerged with little explanation. Benedict dives into the world of Mrs. Christie, examining through her lens of historical fiction what might have caused that eleven-day absence.

Justine Cowan in conversation with GPB’s Virginia Prescott, The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames

January 12, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

Following the death of her mother, Justine Cowan discovered an envelope which contained details about her mother’s childhood at the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children, also known as the Foundling Hospital, in Great Britain—a childhood that Cowan knew nothing about during her mother’s life. In her debut, Atlanta-based attorney Cowan investigates her mother’s difficult childhood alongside her own early years, uncovering the depths of a family secret.

Ed Tarkington, The Fortunate Ones

January 13, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

In his second novel, Ed Tarkington follows the story of Charlie Boykin, a teenager from the less privileged part of Nashville who attends a prestigious boarding school with the children of powerful Southern families. After befriending Arch Creigh, future United States Senator, Boykin learns about the challenges, pitfalls, and allure of wealth and power.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Author Talk

Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick, Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Life and Win The 1960 Election in conversation with Charles Black and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr.

January 18, 2021 at 4 PM, Zoom Webinar

Join us for a special virtual panel discussion with authors Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick and leaders of the Atlanta Student Movement, Charles Black and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. A part of Atlanta History Center’s virtual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programming, the panel will discuss the Kendrick’s latest book along with first-hand experiences from the Civil Rights Movement and the Atlanta Student Movement. The panel will explore how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s imprisonment changed the 1960 election and our country.

February 2021 Talks

Chad Sanders in conversation with GPB’s Virginia Prescott, Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph

February 4, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

After starting his career in Silicon Valley, Chad Sanders felt pressured to sacrifice his Black identity to be successful in the majority-white tech hub. This left him feeling exhausted and untrue to himself, while also stalling his career. In his book, Sanders explores what he credits with turning his career and life around and calls Black Magic, namely: resilience, creativity, and perseverance, forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man.

Leesa Cross-Smith in conversation with Arts ATL’s Gail O’Neill, This Close to Okay

February 9, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

In her latest novel, Leesa Cross-Smith writes of what happens when two strangers are brought together by chance in a moment when they both needed it most. The story begins with recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark spotting a man standing on the edge of a bridge. After convincing him to join her for a cup of coffee, Tallie learns that the man is named Emmett. Alternating between Tallie and Emmett’s perspectives, they inch closer to the truth of what brought Emmett to the bridge.

Anna Malaika Tubbs, The Three Mothers

February 10, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

Though much has been written about Berdis Baldwin’s son James, Alberta King’s son Martin Luther, and Louise Little’s son Malcolm, there is little that tells the story of the three women who raised them. In her debut book, Anna Malaika Tubbs explores Black motherhood and the similarities and differences behind how these three women raised their sons to be activists, scholars, and creators of change.

Thomas Holt in conversation with GPB’s Virginia Prescott, The Movement: The African American Struggle for Civil Rights

February 18, 2021 at 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

Though one of the most important developments in United States history, the Civil Rights Movement is often understood as a singular moment in time: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In this new work, Holt investigates the origins of the movement, exploring the role of ordinary people in shaping its goals and objectives along with how the movement changed everyday lives.

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