Time It Was

Some have asked, whether after my father's passing, if quillnews would retain its presence on the blogosphere.  Without question, it will.  One of my dad's lasting legacies is his writing, and this gift he left behind is the type that, for the foreseeable future, will keep on giving.

A classmate, and friend, of my father has edited and sent for publication a compilation of stories on the 60's.  The book, Time It Was, will be published by Prentice Hall, and will be available in 2007.

My father wrote one of Time's chapters, titled "Hope House."  This may very well turn out to be my father's final published work.  It is an autobiographical recount of events that took place in Cleveland in the Summer of 1966.  A synopsis taken from Time It Was:

While still in high school in 1964-66, R. Thomas Collins Jr. worked as a tutor for the Great Society's Upward Bound Program.  In the summer of 1966, when he and his fellow tutors visited Hope House, an urban mission in Cleveland, Ohio, they found themselves caught in inner city violence

The co-editor, Tim Koster, commented to me on my dad's contribution to Time It Was:

It's a wonderful story and exceptionally well written.  And we'll always be thankful to Tom for allowing us to use it because we used it as a standard for the rest of the chapters in the book.  Because of it we were able to fill the book with wonderful stories about one of the most dynamic periods in our history.  We think the book will have a big impact on how the sixties are seen and studied and we really have to thank your father for helping us make it happen.

Time It Was will be marketed by Prentice Hall as a textbook that covers one of the most dynamic and formidable periods of American history.  No doubt, the primary source nature of its contents, incorporating 40+ years of context and retrospection, will make it a unique and valuable educational text for anyone seeking to understand our recent history as well as the world in which we live today.

The story has many contributors (one here), including my Aunt who found herself front and center in the midst of Vietnam War protests at the Democratic National Convention chronicled in "Chicago '68." 

Stay tuned.

Comments

[Darryl Koster]

I'm so sorry to hear about Tom's passing. Tim K. is my father, and he's told me much about Tom. I look forward to reading Hope House when the book is published.

[Lara Barros]

Hi, in searching for information regarding my great grandfather, Sinon Collins of Meadville, PA, I stumbled across your father's book. I believe that my great grandfather and your grandfather were cousins? Anyway, I am not sure if anyone is reading this. If so, please feel free to contact me at thebestlara@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
Lara Collins Barros