CONFEDERACY OF SILENCE. A True Tale of the New Old South

Softcover. When the author, fresh out of the Ivy League, accepted a job at a daily newspaper in the old Delta town of Greenwood, Mississippi, he wass thrust into a place as different from his hometown of New York as any in the country. Yet to his surprise, he was warmly welcomed by the townspeople and soon found his first great scoop in Handy Campbell, a poor, black teen and gifted high school quarterback who went on to win a spot on Mississippi State's team - a training ground for the NFL. Six years later, the author, back in New York, learned that Handy was locked up in Greenwood, accused of capital murder. Returning south to cover the trial, the author followed the trail that took Handy from the football field to county jail. As the best and worst elements of Mississippi rose up to do battle over one man's fate, the author confronted his own unresolved feelings about the confederacy of silence that initially enabled him to thrive in Greenwood but ultimately forced him to leave it. 438pp. trade size p/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. with no creasing to covers.