A Manuscript Gets a Title

Thanks again to all of you who helped with suggesting a title for my Crater book.  It needed something that conveyed the overall theme of race and memory without coming off as too academic.  As I mentioned to a friend last night, I want this book to appeal to folks who rarely look at anything beyond a stiff interpretation of Gettysburg.  Here are a few more titles that friends have suggested: “Big Hole in the Ground,” “A Change in the Landscape: Race, Politics, and Memory at the Battle of the Crater,” “Crawling From the Wreckage,” “The Crater of Race,” and “Lies White People Tell.”  My wife suggested that I call it, “First in Flight: A Southern History of a Different Kind”.

After serious consideration I decided to go with, “Murder Remembered as War: The Battle of the Crater”.  Thanks to Peter Carmichael for the suggestion.  It’s relatively short, to the point, and I like that it completely avoids the academic jargon.  My wife is finishing proofreading the ms. in time for delivery tomorrow.

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10 comments… add one
  • J Maass Aug 4, 2010 @ 5:50

    Good choice.

  • Margaret D. Blough Aug 4, 2010 @ 2:51

    Love the title! Peter gives great advice (I guess it’s too late to change it to: “It’s Raining Confederates”)

    • Kevin Levin Aug 4, 2010 @ 2:51

      You are as bad as my wife. 😀

      • Margaret D. Blough Aug 4, 2010 @ 7:46

        I’d love to meet her; I like the way her mind works. Think about the title change for the 2nd edition. We could do a little promotional video, after we secure the rights to use the music from the song, “It’s Raining Men” & come up with the right lyrics (In order to scan properly, we’d probably have to change the title/chorus to “It’s Raining Rebs” 🙂

    • David B. Appleton Aug 4, 2010 @ 7:03

      Nice and concise, but I think “It’s Raining Rebels” scans better.

      • Margaret D. Blough Aug 4, 2010 @ 7:48

        David-Great suggestion!!! I modified it still further. I think I hear a single about to be recorded! 🙂

  • Richard Aug 3, 2010 @ 10:50

    Grand news!!
    It has been a pleasure watching this project develop.
    Now looking forward to actual publication.
    I expect a very worthwhile read.

    • Kevin Levin Aug 3, 2010 @ 11:06

      Thanks Richard.

  • Matt McKeon Aug 3, 2010 @ 9:12

    Peter’s title was very good. However what about:

    Hell’s Divot

    or

    Fuck, What a Hole!

    • Kevin Levin Aug 3, 2010 @ 9:22

      Let’s try to keep it clean, Matt. I already had to reprimand my wife for her bad taste in choosing a title. 😀

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