The past is a foreign county; they do things differently there.
—L.P. Hartley
R. Scott Williams
Scott Williams is dedicated to uncovering the forgotten stories of those who helped shape American history and popular culture. He is the author of biographies on adventurer Richard Halliburton, pioneering entertainment reporter Odd McIntyre, and American folk hero David Crockett. His newest biography is a deep dive into the life of Memphis founder Marcus Winchester.
Upcoming Book Talks:
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 1 p.m.
David Craig Tennessee DAR Chapter
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation Meeting Room
1009 E Main St, Brownsville, TN 38012
More information
Friday, May 1, 2026, 1 p.m.
Historic Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis
Book Talk Moderated by Memphis-Based Author and Documentary Filmmaker Willy Bearden
824 S. Dudley St., Memphis, TN 38104
This event is supported in part by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.
More info and register
Saturday, May 2. 2026, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Bookstock: Memphis Area Author’s Festival
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library – Memphis Public Library
3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38111
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Saturday, May 9, 10:30 a.m.
Tennessee State Museum
TN Writers | TN Stories
Moderated by former Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist and Vice President of the Tennessee Historical Society Chuck Sherrill
1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208
More information
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 6 p.m.
Friendship Force Club
Members and guests only
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
1695 Central Ave., Memphis, TN
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Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
David Crockett Homestead and Bluegrass Festival
Discovery Park of America
830 Everette Blvd.
Union City, TN 38261
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To schedule a book talk for your group, email [email protected] or call 731-885-5455.
Townmania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis
Meticulously researched and filled with new information and insight, “Townmania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis” brings to life a fascinating cast of early Memphians including flatboat pilots, fur traders, Native Americans, the enslaved, enslavers, abolitionists and politicians. It reframes the birth of a Southern metropolis through the lens of Marcus Winchester, the man who helped shape it, only to be cast out by some in the very community he helped create.
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