About the Author

FRYE GAILLARD is the writer-in-residence in the English and history departments at the University of South Alabama. He is the author of twenty books, including With Music and Justice for All: Some Southerners and Their Passions; Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America, winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award; The Dream Long Deferred: The Landmark Struggle for Desegregation in Charlotte, North Carolina, winner of the Gustavus Myers Award; and If I Were a Carpenter, the first independent, book-length study of Habitat for Humanity.

Reviews

The Books That Mattered is an individualized account of books that affected one accomplished writer ... there is something charming about this book. Perhaps it's the sensitivity with which Gaillard recounts his gradual coming to terms with his home. Or perhaps it's the dogged reassurance that books do matter, that they can instruct us if we endeavor, as we must, to put them into revealing contexts while expanding our own contexts. Or perhaps it's simply the joy that comes with getting to know someone, which is what you've done by the time you've finished The Books That Mattered.-- "Southern Literary Review"

Frye Gaillard doesn't simply read books; he inhabits them. The Books That Mattered is a fascinating, well-written book that keeps on giving.--Faye Jones "Chapter 16, Humanities Tennessee"

Frye Gaillard gives us a treat. Many books celebrate the collecting and possession of books, but few describe the first experience of reading one at just the right time to change our lives. The Books That Mattered will renew similar memories in every reader.--Dr. Wayne Flynt "author of Keeping the Faith"

Frye Gaillard's The Books That Mattered is one to join the ranks of those mentioned within. Combining personal and literary memories, he carves out his own landscape as a reader. The result is entertaining and enlightening. This book will inspire you to reach for old favorites as well as those you have missed along the way.--Jill McCorkle "author of Going Away Shoes and Carolina Moon"

Frye Gaillard's The Books That Mattered not only evokes that wonder for the written word, but tackles the more difficult question of why the ethical and intellectual dimension in novels, essays, and stories matter. Though most of us know intimately the shadowed self of our own experience, it is often through reading that we come to understand the doubt and sorrow of others and to recognize the heroic struggle of those trapped by injustice. [Gaillard's book] is beautifully rendered and wisely conceived; it gives insight as both memoir and literary guide.--Patricia Foster "author of All the Lost Girls and Girl from Soldier Creek"

In The Books That Mattered: A Reader's Memoir, (Gaillard) meditates on his favorite books and authors ... Now loaded with honors and comfortably ensconced as writer-in-residence at the University of South Alabama, Gaillard shares his eventful personal history and experience with a new generation.--John Sledge "The Mobile Bay Monthly"

In sharing the books that have impacted him the most, Gaillard exposes his reader's soul. His personal connections to the literature he's read are laid bare for all to see, and through Gaillard's revelations, we are reminded just how powerful the written word can be. Truly an outstanding piece of nonfiction, Frye Gaillard's The Books That Mattered should be on everyone's reading list.-- "Montgomery Advertiser"

In this era when a deep immersion in books is too often viewed as unimportant, Frye Gaillard has given us a powerful reminder that literature can enrich, even dramatically change, the course of our lives. The Books That Mattered deserves a wide and appreciative audience.--Ron Rash "author of Serena: A Novel"

This wonderful memoir sets a thoughtful tone as expected of a writer with extensive and important real-world journalistic experience and a bibliography near arm's length. The Books That Mattered: A Reader's Memoir is a voyage into books that have seen the test of time, some more than others, but all rating a space on the shelf. Gaillard is an admirable tour guide.--Mike Odom "The Fairhope Courier"

Wonderful ... After reading The Books That Mattered I felt like compiling my own list.--Ann Marie Martin "The Huntsville Times"

Written with warmth, a scholar's attention to detail, and genuine insight, The Books That Mattered is a gift to readers everywhere--an engrossing personal history mapped, like stones across a river, in the books that shaped its author's life. A reminder of why reading matters to us all.--Michael Knight "author of The Typist"