For Release, August 13, 2012
For more information, contact Kimberly Rogers at (901) 678-4164.

University of Memphis Associate Professor of Architecture and Author James Williamson will discuss and sign copies of his new novel, The Ravine, Thursday, Sept. 6, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Burke's Book Store, 936 South Cooper St. in Memphis, Tenn.

Raised in the South during segregation, Williamson's unique perspective gives his depiction of life in 1958 Mississippi authenticity. Inspired by real events, The Ravine is a compelling story set during the early years of the Civil Rights movement that details the events and fallout of a racially-motivated murder.

Born in Memphis, Williamson is a graduate of Rhodes College. As a student, he was active in the Civil Rights Movement and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 sanitation workers' strike. 

After serving in the Navy, Williamson earned two Master of Architecture degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a student of renowned architect Louis Kahn. A talented architect, he has received more than 30 architectural design awards at the local, regional and national levels.

In 2005, he was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of his notable contributions in architectural design and education. He has been a full-time faculty member of the U of M since 2008.

The Ravine is his second novel and follows The Architect, set in Memphis.