Marla Ballard Columnist
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Moon Lake Library will present Author Talk: Jerry Ellis – “Quote the Raven on the Ferris Wheel.” Ellis will discuss his latest book, which debuted as a No. 1 New Release in Native American Religions and Spirituality. The book, a thriller, is being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. The book is about a man named Mark who lives in New York City and works for a secret organization that controls the world. Mark has perfected an ancient weapon that leaves people mystified and led to his being offered an assignment that pays $10 million dollars. The assignment would change the future of America.
Ellis is a Fort Payne native of Native American heritage. His wife’s work, in Italy, as a director of a tour company has had them living in both Fort Payne and Rome, Italy. In 1970 Ellis graduated from the University of Alabama. In 1989 he sold his possessions to be the first person in the modern world to walk, in reverse, the 900-mile route of the Trail of Tears from Oklahoma to Alabama -- the same walk his ancestors were forced to walk in 1838, where 4,000 Cherokee’s died. The walk resulted in his writing “Walking the Trail, One Man’s Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears.” It was nominated by Random House for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. Published in three languages, it has been read by almost one million people. The life-altering trek led to Ellis lecturing in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States. The book is required reading in some schools in the U.S. and Germany. “Walking the Trail” has been used as a teaching resource by award-winning educators, including James Percoco, who is in the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
Ellis’ writings include: “Walking the Trail: One Man’s Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears,” 1991; “Bareback! One Man’s Journey Along the Pony Express Trail,” 1993; “On the Trail of the Pony Express,” 2002; “Marching Through Georgia: My Walk Along Serman’s Route,” 2002; “Walking to Canterbury: A Modern Journey Through Chaucer’s Medieval England,” 2007; “Cia From Roma! Spring in the Eternal City of Love with Paolo Canova,” 2012; “Cherokee History for Indian Lovers,” 2013; “Native American Thriller” – Parts One and Two, 2013, 2014; and “Two Wolves, A Cherokee’s Journey to Feed the Sacred One,” 2014. He has been published in The New York Times, and has had five plays produced. His last four short stories at Amazon were all bestsellers.
Ellis is the co-founder of Tanager House, an artist retreat set on a large tract of wooded acreage on a hilltop between Lookout and Sand Mountain. At the Tanager House, Ellis and his wife Debi Holmes-Binney host workshops in the house modeled after an Italian villa. Workshops include writing/publishing, spirituality, and self-actualization helping other writers to overcome barriers to reaching their dream of writing.
Talent runs in the family, Ellis is the brother of Hollywood actress Sandra Ellis Lafferty, who is also a resident of Fort Payne. Lafferty has appeared in many films including “Walk the Line,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Prisoners.” Holmes-Binney wrote “Desert Sojourn,” about spending 40 days and nights alone in the Great Salt Lake Desert, where she almost died in a surprise snowstorm. Her book reached No. 1 at Amazon, was published in three languages.
Ellis is also a Native American folk artist who makes masks, pipes, blowguns, and tomahawks. His creations have been displayed in galleries from Maine to Oregon, and some of his creations will be displayed for sale at the book signing.
The Moon Lake Library is located at 4607 AL-117, Mentone. Author Talk begins at 6:30 p.m.
