Thirteen loops: race, violence and the last lynching in America

Abstract

Thirteen Loops: Race, Violence, and the Last Lynching in America blends creative nonfiction with journalistic inquiry to examine the interconnected and racially related murders of Vaudine Maddox (1933, Tuscaloosa), Sergeant Gene Ballard (1979, Birmingham), and Michael Donald (1981, Mobile). Research methods included, but were not limited to, archival work, personal interviews, as well as the author's first-hand explorations of the locations referenced herein. The primary objective of this work is not to put forward any definitive conclusions on race, but rather, to present the facts objectively, creatively and honestly in order to allow the reader to arrive at his or her own conclusions.