Robert Hicks and Widow of the South - Literacy Luncheon
Widow of the South is a great book by Robert Hicks http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/au-hicks-robert.asp
Robert was the speaker at the Altrusa International and Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club's Literacy Luncheon of 400 plus held on March 19, 2009, at the Oak Ridge High School cafeteria lobby. I was honored to introduce him at the luncheon.
He also was the feature at the One City One Book event on March 18, 2009, at the Oak Ridge Public Library, also a huge hit.
Robert held the audiences in both events spellbound for the entire length of his talks. His story of how his family ate his uncle for dinner serves to capture the audience as they don't really know what to make of the frank and open way Robert tells how this story has affected others who have been told it before the audience he is currently addressing. He then goes into the passionate story of his love for the life of Carrie McGavock, the real widow of the South who dug up and reburied nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers killed on or near her homeplace of Carnton Plantation in Franklin, TN, creating one of the largest private military cemeteries in existence.
The story of Robert's visit to Oak Ridge is covered in my Historically Speaking article of Tuesday, March 31, 2009.
http://www.oakridger.com/columnists/x1931050742/Robert-Hicks-comes-to-Oak-Ridge-Preserving-the-Carnton-Plantation-house-and-our-Guest-House
Ray
Posted by smithdray
at 12:41 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 31 March 2009 9:54 PM EDT
On March 21, 2009, Oak Ridge celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Opening of the Gates on March 19, 1949. The events planned jointely by the Oak Ridge Heritage & Preservation Association and the American Museum of Science and Energy were excellent events to commemorate the historic event. 
special
happy
celebratory
a-ok
