Should I write a book about my grandfather, who was in the Klan?

[Seymour Flops]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

 

[Confederate Soldier]

I for one, would not be advertising on the internet about that, but hey, to each his own.


If a book like that is to be written, it shouldn't be fictionalized. It needs to be accurate. To fictionalize such a sensitive topic can only backfire in your face.

 

[progressive hunter]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

by democrat party standards if your father was KKK then you are KKK and should be punished for all that he did, so I wouldnt write the book,,

 

[MarathonMike]

Have you checked if there is any interest in such a book from a publisher?

 

[lg325]

It may be good for you to do it any way you may find it good for your soul and settle any issues you have been bottling up.
You may just learn a lot about yourself.

 

[Dekster]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

The secret to doing this probably is to write the book about that town/area at the time your GF lived there and then intersperse what stories you do know your grandfather in that. It is kind of how Sebastien Younger wrote The Perfect Storm (which became the movie). They really had no clue what really happened on that boat once it reached the Grand Banks other than it sank, but that didn't stop Younger from making a mint on it.

 

[TheParser]

Yes, you should write that book -- even if you have to self-publish it and make no money.

You know that you want to get it out of your system.

You may have to sell most copies to yourself and give them to selected family members and friends.

But that's OK.

You should use this opportunity to practice your writing skills.

You should be honest and factual. Do not fictionalize.

Include your personal thoughts about your grandfather.

Tell why he decided to join the Klan.

Do not use any obscenities in your book and do not use any rude epithets for African Americans.

Your book might be really interesting.

 

[Seymour Flops]

I for one, would not be advertising on the internet about that, but hey, to each his own.


If a book like that is to be written, it shouldn't be fictionalized. It needs to be accurate. To fictionalize such a sensitive topic can only backfire in your face.

Thanks to you and all the others for your input. Good points.

by democrat party standards if your father was KKK then you are KKK and should be punished for all that he did, so I wouldnt write the book,,

Good point.

Have you checked if there is any interest in such a book from a publisher?

I didn't waste my time. The publishing world is almost impossible to break into, without some pre-existing hook. I'll publish via Amazon, as I already have one book. It didn't make much money, but it was satisfying to have it read.

It may be good for you to do it any way you may find it good for your soul and settle any issues you have been bottling up.
You may just learn a lot about yourself.

No doubt. I learned a lot about myself when I wrote my first book. I guess I did reveal that I have some bottled up issues about my relatives. Maybe I'll include a character like my Uncle Jim, the bastard from New Jersey. Maybe put him in the middle of the town of East Texans, but fitting right in with the racists.

The secret to doing this probably is to write the book about that town/area at the time your GF lived there and then intersperse what stories you do know your grandfather in that. It is kind of how Sebastien Younger wrote The Perfect Storm (which became the movie). They really had no clue what really happened on that boat once it reached the Grand Banks other than it sank, but that didn't stop Younger from making a mint on it.

LoL, your "GF" confused me! I thought, 'what, make up a fictional girlfriend? How does that help?'

Yes, that is exactly what I'm talking about. My GM was a wealth of stories that made my GF seem like a loveable small town boy who went to college and became more educated than his fellow townfolk, went to WWI because he believed in Woodrow Wilson's dream of a world safe for democracy, and then became a leading town figure.

She said that when he went to his dorm room, the overhead lights were on, and he had no idea how to turn them off. So he and his roommate ended up wrapping a towel around it to go to sleep.

She didn't talk about his Klan leadership, his being sent to federal prison for embezzlement (as postmaster), and his election to the school board after he served his time. I heard those stories from cousins whose mother was more willing to talk about them than my father. After my GF died, my dad's father figure was his uncle by marriage, who was part Kickapoo and hated the Klan.

My great aunt, my GM's younger sister, told me that during the depression, a woman went to the town hall to ask if anyone knew of an available job, specifically housekeeping. They said "Mrs. Flops (my widowed grandmother) is looking for someone to clean and cook for her kids, while she works (as town bookkeeper)." The woman said, "I'm not that hungry, thank you."

Those are some good stories, but I'll need more to flesh them out for a book.

Yes, you should write that book -- even if you have to self-publish it and make no money.

You know that you want to get it out of your system.

You may have to sell most copies to yourself and give them to selected family members and friends.

But that's OK.

You should use this opportunity to practice your writing skills.

You should be honest and factual. Do not fictionalize.

Include your personal thoughts about your grandfather.

Tell why he decided to join the Klan.

Do not use any obscenities in your book and do not use any rude epithets for African Americans.

Your book might be really interesting.

Very good advice, thanks!

Since, you may never read it, I'll say this: He joined the Klan, in fact founded the local chapter, after seeing the movie, "Birth of a Nation," and hearing it endorsed by Woodrow Wilson. He had the best of intentions, from his point of view, twisted though it was.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

My great grand uncle was in the KKK the whole family was proud of him.

My great grandmother was a very petite woman with a gigantic temperature. Once the schoolmaster punished one of her sons. She harnessed the horse to the backboard and went to the school. She called that schoolmaster out in the schoolyard and horsewhipped him so bad he nearly died. Never taught school again,

We need more men and women like her.

 

[Canon Shooter]

by democrat party standards if your father was KKK then you are KKK and should be punished for all that he did, so I wouldnt write the book,,

Sad but true.

After I lost my wife, I started dating a Jewish woman. She was exceptionally intelligent (she was a doctor), beautiful, a great mother and just a lot of fun to be with. She felt similarly about me. We were inseparable.

Something I'd never told her (I just didn't see the need) was that my Grandfather's uncle was a high ranking officer in Hitler's Luftwaffe. We have a single photograph of him in his uniform. It wasn't on display anywhere. It was in a shoebox full of old family photos. One day were were doing some spring cleaning and along comes this shoebox. She started looking through the photos and saw the photo.

She didn't speak to me for the better part of month...

 

[Flash]

My father and other family members were in the KKK back in the 1950s and the early part of the 1960s.

The KKK in my area was mostly made up of returning WWII veterans. Several law enforcement officers and deputies in the county were also members.

They kept the peace and protected their "hood". Crime was very low back then, even in the Black sections. When the Klan disbanded crime soared, especially Black crime.

 

[miketx]

All magas are KKK right now so just ask them what to say, right lefturds?

 

[beautress]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

If you do it, get a perpetual pillow to sit on as you spend the rest of your days in an open court being humiliated until your best friends will never speak to you again for fear of what will happen to them if they support you. It doesn't take a Nostradamus to know that's what's going to happen to you.

 

[beautress]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

Why don't you write a tv play about the true stories you were told. Give it a hot name and sell it to a tv conglomerate. Maybe you can bring people together to be sure generational slavery never happens again.

 

[Innocynioc]

NO!

 

[Devils_Advocate]

My grandfather was in the Ku Klux Klan, and my grandmother was proud of it. I know a few stories about him, but not enough for a book. So I'd have to fictionalize some of it, based on conjecture. I tried to talk to some of the people in his town about him when I was in college. Half to them said that nobody who knew anything was going to talk to me and if they did, they would say it was all N!&&3r lies. The other half told me they would not talk to me about a bunch of N!&&3r lies.

I can't make a book out of that. So, my book would be that they did tell me stories about him, full of hate and violence, and drama and pathos, which I would relate to the reader, with suitable white guilt on my part to make sure it is well-reviewed by the New York Times.

It wouldn't make my dad's hometown look very good. But, I never liked that town. My Mother was from another small town in Texas, and they were very friendly. My dad's hometown was full of mean rednecks, which wasn't so great for a twelve year old with long hair in the mid-seventies. I can easily see it being a hotbed of Klan recruiting.

Here's the thing: A book that talked bad about that town, might piss off my four cousins. There mom was the daughter of a Klansman and their dad was from New Jersey, and the epitome of the Irish-American ass-hole. Reminded me of the Robert Duvall Character in the "The Great Santini," except that guy had a talent, flying fighters, while my Uncle Jim was a fireman on a military post, which means there are almost never any fires. Yet, he was till an arrogant asshole. So, that's their background, and with one exception, their personalities are what you'd expect. Anyway, I get along with my cousins, and I hate for them to hate me.

But, screw it, they or I will get over it!

I'll do iiiiiit!

Sure and I will write about my Nazi Grandfather…

 

[Flash]

Sure and I will write about my Nazi Grandfather…

My father was a member of the KKK and he fought against real Nazis.

 

[Devils_Advocate]

My father was a member of the KKK and he fought against real Nazis.

My grandfather was a real Nazi, so ya know we all have a dark past in our family tree…

Funny thing I was raised by my Half-Aunt who was Jewish and Belarusian.

 

[beautress]

My father and other family members were in the KKK back in the 1950s and the early part of the 1960s.

The KKK in my area was mostly made up of returning WWII veterans. Several law enforcement officers and deputies in the county were also members.

They kept the peace and protected their "hood". Crime was very low back then, even in the Black sections. When the Klan disbanded crime soared, especially Black crime.

In the book of Deuteronomy, we find that the sins of the father are not the responsibility of his child. By the same toke, a child's wrongdoings do not make the father responsible for the bad things a child chooses to do. KJV, Deuteronomy 26:16. "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

This is why many people do not support reparations for sins committed in a century past, or a millennium, for that matter.