John Pruitt

Ever been surprised by joy when a memory long slumbering in your mind is suddenly awakened? This happened to me when John Pruitt’s name came up when the FOPL began the search for an author for our first program since the opening of our new library. John Pruitt covered the news of Atlanta, the State of Georgia and the world as television anchor and reporter for almost half a century.

I enjoy a good time-travel story and suddenly I found myself back in the 70’s and 80’s, sitting around the dinner table with our three young daughters. We could not see the TV from the dining room, but we bumped up the volume so we could hear what Mr. Pruitt was reporting each evening on the Atlanta news. Occasionally he would say something that required a visual and one or all three of our girls would jump up, falling all over each other, racing to the TV to see Willie B, a new ride at Disney World or some other enticing story.

He provided us with many topics of conversation, current events for our girls’ homework assignments and sparked an interest in the expanding world around us. We depended on him to keep us informed and he was a trusted absentee guest who seldom missed an evening meal in our home.
Many of you may have your own memories of events covered by the Atlanta news media spanning the almost fifty-year career of Mr. Pruitt. Some of his major stories include the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., several gubernatorial and presidential campaigns and inaugurations, eleven Democratic and Republican conventions, the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, and the aftermath of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.

You are invited to an evening with John Pruitt, at 7:00pm on Thursday, September 14th, at the Pickens County Library in Jasper. He will speak to us about his first novel, Tell It True, which was published in October 2022. This book is based on his experiences as a journalist in the sixties covering the civil rights movement.

Mr. Pruitt has graciously agreed to answer questions following his talk about his time as a journalist, news reporter and author. There will also be an opportunity for book purchases and signings.

Join us for this special event at 7:00pm, Thursday, September 14th at the Pickens County Library. Light refreshments will be provided.

You may find additional information about Mr. Pruitt and the Friends of Pickens Library on our Facebook page.

Article by:
Brenda Wynn