NewsFaculty/StaffAcademicsEnglish
Middle School welcomes author Ted Dunagan
Aug 15, 2008 12:42 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Georgia author Ted M. Dunagan came to Darlington Friday, Aug. 22, for the second annual Middle School author visit. He discussed his book, “A Yellow Watermelon,” the required summer reading book, and answered questions.
“We selected ‘A Yellow Watermelon’ because it is a new book by a new author,” said Ken Wempe, dean of students and English teacher. “Published this year, this coming-of-age story is both compelling and wonderfully written in a simple, subtle style. Dunagan used his novel as a jumping off point to discuss its themes and the writing process.”
In the best Southern literary tradition, “A Yellow Watermelon” explores poverty and racial segregation through the eyes of an innocent boy. In rural south Alabama in 1948, whites picked on one side of the cotton field and blacks on the other. Where the fields meet, 12-year-old Ted meets Poudlum, a black boy his own age, who teaches him how to endure the hard work while they bond and go on to integrate the field. Through Poudlum and Jake, an escaped black convict, Ted learns of evil forces gathering to deprive Poudlum’s family of their property and livelihood. The boys encounter danger and suspense while executing a plan to save Poudlum’s family, set Jake onto a river of freedom, and discover a great, yet simple secret of enlightenment.
Dunagan was born in 1943 in rural southwestern Alabama. He attended Georgia State University, and served for three years in the Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and Special Forces Training Group. Dunagan is now retired after a career in the cosmetics and fragrance industry. He writes features and columns for The Monticello News in Monticello, Ga., where he lives with his wife.
“We selected ‘A Yellow Watermelon’ because it is a new book by a new author,” said Ken Wempe, dean of students and English teacher. “Published this year, this coming-of-age story is both compelling and wonderfully written in a simple, subtle style. Dunagan used his novel as a jumping off point to discuss its themes and the writing process.”
In the best Southern literary tradition, “A Yellow Watermelon” explores poverty and racial segregation through the eyes of an innocent boy. In rural south Alabama in 1948, whites picked on one side of the cotton field and blacks on the other. Where the fields meet, 12-year-old Ted meets Poudlum, a black boy his own age, who teaches him how to endure the hard work while they bond and go on to integrate the field. Through Poudlum and Jake, an escaped black convict, Ted learns of evil forces gathering to deprive Poudlum’s family of their property and livelihood. The boys encounter danger and suspense while executing a plan to save Poudlum’s family, set Jake onto a river of freedom, and discover a great, yet simple secret of enlightenment.
Dunagan was born in 1943 in rural southwestern Alabama. He attended Georgia State University, and served for three years in the Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and Special Forces Training Group. Dunagan is now retired after a career in the cosmetics and fragrance industry. He writes features and columns for The Monticello News in Monticello, Ga., where he lives with his wife.
