Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Author of Civil Rights-era novel to present for One Book, Many Voices
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Author of Civil Rights-era novel to present for One Book, Many Voices

October 20, 2015 | 268 views

Award-winning Southern author George Ella Lyon will give a lecture as a part of Floyd County’s One Book, Many Voices reading initiative at Anna K. Davie Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.

As one of the creative minds behind “Voices from the March on Washington,” Lyon will speak on the novel of poetry and verse that follows six fictional characters at the famous August 1963 march that culminated with Rev. Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech.

The program will open with a special performance by In His Name, Berry College's gospel choir.

The event is open to the public and will offer an opportunity for students, teachers, and other members of the community to connect with the author at the new school, located in South Rome at 24 E. Main St. SW. 

“Darlington School is proud to be a sponsor of this community endeavor,” said Melinda Holmes, director of library services and member of the One Book, Many Voices Steering Committee. “We are especially excited this year because one of our close neighbors gets to host this very special occasion.”

Modeled after similar initiatives throughout the nation, One Book, Many Voices is designed to encourage reading in schools, book clubs and other organizations, build programs, spark discussion and bring the community together through the reading of one great book.

Visiting authors from previous years have included Maya Angelou, Sherman Alexie, Ruta Sepetys, and Clyde Edgerton. 

"The main reason we chose ‘Voices from the March’ was because we wanted something to unite the community and reach our younger kids,” added Holmes. “Each year we alternate from adult books to books that reach teenagers—this is the first book chosen that reaches into a fifth-grade reading level.”

The novel, co-written by Lyon and author J. Patrick Lewis, uses voices of different ages, backgrounds and motives to help paint a comprehensive picture of one of the turning points in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, as it was also known, is credited alongside King’s landmark speech with aiding in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“This book is of particular importance because it is helping to keep that very moment in history alive, so that today's students can learn what life was truly like back then,” added Holmes.

George Ella Lyon has written a wide variety of literary works encompassing poetry, novels, short stories, and a memoir. The author has won several awards including a 2015 Charlotte Zolotow "Highly Commended" award for her illustrated children's book, "What Forest Knows." Lyon’s other works have been recognized with additional accolades including the Appalachian Book of the Year award, the Aesop Prize, the Parents’ Choice Silver Medal, and placement on the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Teens list. Earlier this year she was honored by Gov. Steve Beshear as the Kentucky poet laureate.

A native of Harlan County, Ky., Lyon is currently based in Lexington where she works as a freelance writer and teacher.

Free tickets to the lecture are available to members of the Darlington Community on a first-come, first-serve basis at the McCallie-Kennedy Upper School Library. Tickets can also be purchased by the general public for $5 each at the Rome-Floyd County Library, 205 Riverside Pkwy. NE.