The Basics
Title: I Remember: A Memoir, 1947-2022
Author: David W. Sloan
Genre: Reference
Release Date: February 24, 2017
Book Synopsis
When one dies, think of the amount of knowledge that passes on with him. If any of my descendants should ever want to know something about me after I’m gone, perhaps they can find it here.”
Yet with that simple idea, he provides a chronicle that parallels seventy-five years of life in America. It takes him from a young child growing up in a poor family in Texas to years as a college professor in an affluent nation.
He shares details about such topics as the fine art of wringing chickens’ necks; college life in the 1960s, when professors encouraged students to smoke in class and Young Democrats’ parties meant three kegs of beer; and the schemes of students and professors today to try to get away with doing as little as possible.
Along the way, he answers such important questions as “Can women laugh?” “What’s the greatest danger to marriage?” and “How can you retire as a duke?”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My Two Cents
When I met David Sloan, I wanted to know the things in his life that helped shape who he is today. I Remember: A Memoir – 1947-2022 gave me insight into this humble, kind, intelligent man.
While this memoir was written specifically so Sloan’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and generations of his family to come would know about his life. The writing style and formatting make this memoir an easy read.
I experienced a wide array of emotions as I read through this interesting story of a poor young child who grew up to be a college professor.
Ringing chicken’s necks brought sweet memories of my own childhood in Nigeria, West Africa, to mind. I laughed and cried as I read these stories.
I loved reading all of these stories that give me insight into David, his wife Joanne, their children, grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! It would make a great gift for any occasion.
NOTE: I purchased my copy at the Southern Christian Writers Conference and had David Sloan autograph it for me!
I Remember: A Memoir, 1947-2022 and other books by David Sloan are available at Amazon.
About the Author
Read my interview with David: Meet Author David Sloan
David Sloan and his wife, Joanne, along with their daughter, Cheryl Wray, are the founders of the Southern Christian Writers Conference. Since its first year (1992) attendance at its annual workshops has totaled approximately 5,000 people.
David taught journalism and mass communication at the college level for 38 years, first at the University of Arkansas and then at the University of Alabama.
He has written or edited 45 books in the areas of non-fiction writing, mass media history, contemporary media issues, and research methods. His book The Media in America has been for thirty years the mostly widely used college textbook in the field of mass media history. Along with those books, he created the series Regimen Books Christian Classics and serves as its editor. Twenty-five books have been published in the series.
Along with the SCWC, he is the founder of the Southeast Journalism Conference and the American Journalism Historians Association. He served a five-year term as editor of the AJHA’s research journal, American Journalism. The AJHA recognizes him with its annual “Sloan Outstanding Faculty Research Paper” award. In 1998 he received the AJHA’s Kobre Award for lifetime achievement and in 2010 its National Award for Teaching Excellence. The SEJC’s Sloan/St. Dizier Award is given annually to the outstanding college journalism educator in the Southeast.
He is also the founding editor of the online journal Historiography in Mass Communication.
He has served as national president of both the AJHA and Kappa Tau Alpha, the mass communication honor society. On its 90th anniversary, KTA selected him as one of the five most important members in its history.
He received his Ph.D. in mass communication and United States history from the University of Texas.
Start the discussion