June 2023 MBR The Criminology Shelf

The Criminology Shelf

Hall of Mirrors, second edition
C. Arthur Ellis, Jr.
Gadfly Publishing
https://www.pr.com/company-profile/press-releases/81640
9780982094082, $53.71, PB, 206pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hall-Mirrors-Confirmation-Presentist-Continuing/dp/0982094086

Synopsis: Ruby McCollum was a wealthy African-American woman who shot and killed her white physician and state senator elect lover, Dr. C. LeRoy Adams in 1952.

This full color and updated second edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmation and Presentist Biases in Continuing Accounts of the Ruby McCollum Story" is the most thoroughly researched work on the Ruby McCollum story published since the work of William B. Huie.

Written by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. (the author who first published the annotated transcript of the murder trial), "Hall of Mirrors" explores recent attempts to revise Ruby McCollum's story to suit the motives of various authors, academics and film producers. "Hall of Mirrors" avoids the confirmation and presentist biases found in other works and presents this inherently fascinating story within its proper historical context.

"Hall of Mirrors" contains the full text of Ruby McCollum's letters from prison, and from the Florida State Mental Hospital, which are highly revealing of her personality. It also publishes, for the first time, the letters of Adams's nurse, Edith Park, who exposes Live Oak's dirty little secrets within the medical community.

A "must read" selection for readers who are seriously interested in the facts of the case, be forewarned that this new second edition of "Hall of Mirrors" is certain to offend those who steadfastly deny Ruby McCollum's guilt and her role in the affair with Adams.

Critique: A model study of criminology, this newly expanded and updated second edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmation and Presentist Biases in Continuing Accounts of the Ruby McCollum Story" by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. is meticulously researched, impressively detailed, exceptionally well written, deftly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly in presentation. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a four page Preface, a two page Afterword, three Appendices ('Edith Park Notes and Letters'; 'Letters Written by Ruby McCollum; Deed Transferring House from Hopps to McCollum), and a six page Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, community, college, and university library Criminology and True Crime collections, this paperback coffee-table style (6 x 0.49 x 9 inches, 13.8 ounces) volume is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: As a first effort to explore the story of Ruby McCollum, Dr. C. Arthur Ellis discovered that the trial transcript was no longer in the Suwannee County courthouse and that portions of the microfilm record at the State of Florida archive were missing. After years of research, he managed to compile a close facsimile of the transcript from two different sources, annotated the transcript, and published several works on the Ruby McCollum story. He then donated a copy of his version of the transcript to the Florida Collection at the University of Florida where it is archived in the Smathers Library.

His ten-year research effort of restoring the trial transcript also involved reviewing hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, interviewing many of the characters in the story, recording his own memories, including drawing a floor plan of Adams' office where the murder took place. He also commissioned over 50 oil paintings of the places and characters central to the Ruby McCollum story to preserve the "look" of this historical event for future generations. Finally, he documented information contributed by his father who worked with Dr. Adams at the Suwannee County hospital.

For his work on Ruby McCollum, Dr. Ellis was a featured guest speaker at Miami Book Fair International, and was invited to speak on the Ruby McCollum story by LA Theatre Works on the anniversary of William Huie's investigative work on the same case. He has also been a featured guest speaker on the Ruby McCollum story at the Florida Historical Society and the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society.

In 2014, Dr. Ellis worked with Ms. Ramona Ramdeen to complete a feature documentary on the Ruby McCollum story, entitled, CURTAIN OF SECRECY. In this film Dr. Ellis is joined by his wife, who offers her analysis of the characters of the story from her point of view as a forensic psychologist.

Also, in the fall of 2014, Drs. Ellis appeared on A Crime to Remember in the season episode, The Shot Doctor, featuring the Ruby McCollum story.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review