Learn to become your own book! Schedule Jim Reed to speak at your next function!

Read what others have to say about Jim's works.

Jim Reed was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1941, and has been writing since he was 12.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Reed has worked in radio and television, higher education, and public relations. In 1985, Reed retired his three-piece suit, grew a beard, and recreated his life as author, storyteller, speaker, columnist, humorist, rare book dealer and museum curator.

Reed is called upon frequently to share his inspirational view of the world. He speaks on "How To Become Your Own Book" at universities and schools, as well as civic and writing groups throughout the land. "Small Town Red Clay Tales, Both Actual and True" and "Christmas Comes But Once A Day" are performed in Alabama by the Seasoned Readers, a non-profit troupe of senior actors.

Reed has written literally hundreds of true (and actual) stories about life in the Deep South. When not writing, teaching or speaking,Reed can be found in The Museum of Fond Memories at Reed Books, Birmingham, his loft full of old books, posters, toys and other things you wish your mother had not thrown away.

Reed is married, the father of three, and "Poppy" to eight grandchildren.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor of Science degree in education (speech and drama major), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 1969
• Supervisory Management Training Program certification, American Management Association, 1976
• Frequent actor and occasional director, community theatres in Tuscaloosa, 1954-1960
• Radio and television broadcaster, 1959-69:
  Tuscaloosa area radio and TV stations (WJRD, WNPT, WABP, WUOA, WCFT-TV Channel 33)
• Public relations practitioner, 1969-85: Birmingham area medical centers
• Creator (as adjunct instructor) of first curriculum in public relations, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1976-79
• Lecturer, Management Training Program--Birmingham since 1972
• Writer, inspirational speaker, teacher since 1953
• Rare book dealer since 1980

Professional and community outreach activities:

• Hackney Literary Awards, reader
• Birmingham Arts Journal, editor
• H.G. Wells Societies of England and America, member and contributing writer

• Community Affairs Committee (on Race and Racism) of Birmingham. Former co-chair.
• Author's Guild, member
• Alabama Writers' Conclave, first vice president 2003-2004...president 2004-2008
• Alabama Writers' Forum, reviewer for First Draft Magazine
• Alabama School of Fine Arts, board member
• Jefferson County (Alabama)Historical Commission, vice chair, board of directors

Columns, stories, reviews and poems have appeared in/on:

ACTIVE CULTURE MAGAZINE
ALABAMA ANTHOLOGY at www.suebwalker.com
www.alabamawritersconclave.com
ALALITCOM annual 2002
AURA literary journal
AUTHORS' VOICES: HOME OF THE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR
AVENUES MAGAZINE
BEACON magazine
BEAR FACTS newspaper
www.bhamdining.com
www.birminghamartassociation.com
BIRMINGHAM ARTS JOURNAL
BIRMINGHAM ARTS REVIEW
BIRMINGHAM FREE PRESS tabloid
BIRMINGHAM MAGAZINE
BIRMINGHAM NEWS newspaper
BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD newspaper
BIRMINGHAM TIMES NEWSPAPER
BIRMINGHAM WEEKLY tabloid
BOOK DEALERS MONTHLY newsletter
BOOKSELLER MONTHLY newsletter
BUCH KOLLEKTOR newsletter
www.daylo.com
www.donder.com
DOWN HOME MAGAZINE
DOWN SOUTH MAGAZINE
www.downtownbirmingham.org
FIRST DRAFT MAGAZINE
FOUNDATION MAGAZINE
H.G. WELLS SOCIETY, England & U.S.A.newsletters
www.jeffersonhistorical.org
www.jimreedbooks.com
JUBILATION MAGAZINE
LIFE IS AN OPEN BOOK newsletter
www.lizreed.com
www.magiccitymoments.com
NEW SOUTH MAGAZINE
NEWS WORDS newsletter
OFFSPRING MAGAZINE
OLD SOUTHERN TIMES MAGAZINE
OLD TENNESSEE VALLEY MAGAZINE
OLD TUSCALOOSA MAGAZINE
www.pendulumpoems.com
POINT B MAGAZINE
PRIME LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
SENIOR LIVING tabloid
THE SNAKESKIN tabloid
SOUTHERN FESTIVALS tabloid
SOUTHERN SCRIBE magazine
SOUTHERN TIMES MAGAZINE
SOUTHSIDER tabloid
www.stevenfordbrown.com
www.suebwalker.com
SYNERGY newsletter
TUSCALOOSA NEWS newspaper
TUSKALOOSA MAGAZINE
21ST CENTURY WOMAN tabloid
VENUES MAGAZINE
WUOA,WKSS,WUAL,WYDE,WJRD,WCFT-TV,WNPT,WAPB,WSMQ
YESTERDAY'S MEMORIES MAGAZINE


Book Publications include:

• SUPERRELATIONS by Gina Boyd and Jim Reed
  (Department of Health Education and Welfare Management Training Program 1978)

• Story, "Christmas Comes But Once A Day" by Jim Reed in AN ALABAMA CHRISTMAS: 20 HEARTWARMING TALES BY TRUMAN CAPOTE, HELEN KELLER, SONNY BREWER, AND MORE (also includes stories by Mary Ward Brown & Kathy Kemp & Karim Shamsi-Basha & Billie Jean Young & Ruth Beaumont Cook)
  Sweetwater Press 2007 ISBN-13: 9781581736458 & ISBN 1-58173-645-2 Price: $14.95. 192 pages.

• Poem, "One of Those Thanksgiving Days in Verbena, Alabama" by Jim Reed in WHATEVER REMEMBERS US: AN ANTHOLOGY OF ALABAMA POETRY edited by Sue Brannan Walker & J. William Chambers
  Negative Capability Press 2007 ISBN 978-0-942544-60-2 & 978-0-942544-62-6 Library of Congress # 2007902971 Price: $30.00 & $24.00.
• Story "Private Lessons" by Jim Reed in ALABAMA SCRAPBOOK edited by Ellen Sullivan and Marie Stokes Jemison
  (Honeysuckle Imprint 1988)
• Foreword "The Beard Lady" by Jim Reed in BEARDS, BEARDS, BEARDS! by Helen Bunkin
  (Green Street Press 2000 ISBN 1-58838-001-7)
• I WISH I WAS IN DIXIE by Marie Stokes Jemison and Jim Reed
  (Sevgo Press 1992 ISBN 0-943487-41-2)
• DAD'S TWEED COAT: SMALL WISDOMS, HIDDEN COMFORTS, UNEXPECTED JOYS by Jim Reed
  (Premium Press America 1998 ISBN 1-887654-30-5)
• SMALL TOWN RED CLAY TALES, BOTH ACTUAL AND TRUE by Jim Reed (Seasoned Performers 2000- PRESENT) performed throughout Central Alabama by the Seasoned Readers, a non-profit troupe of senior actors)
• CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A DAY by Jim Reed.
  (Blue Rooster Press 2007)
• HOW TO BECOME YOUR OWN BOOK
  by Jim Reed
  (Blue RoosterPress 2006)
• Story "Grove of the Dolls" by Jim Reed in THE ALALITCOM 2001 edited by Donna Jean Tennis and John Curbow
  (Timberline Press 2002)
• INWARD TALES: DANCING AROUND RACE, RACISM AND RACISTS by Jim Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)
• NOT ANOTHER POETRY BOOK (ANOTHER POETRY BOOK) by Jim Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)
• HORACE THE HORRIBLY HOARSE HORSE by Jim Reed and T.R. Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)
• NOT ENOUGH SLEEP: INSOMNIAC TALES by Jim Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)
• STICKY NOVELS Tales Jotted Down on Sticky Notes by Jim Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)
• STICKIER NOVELS Yet More Tales Jotted Down on Sticky Notes by Jim Reed
  (Arlington Press 2003)

  GLUGGED NOT STIRRED by Jim Reed (Blue Rooster Press 2006)

• MARILYN OF THE UNCREASED ELBOW
  (Blue Rooster Press 2006)

• THE MCGEES OF NORTH RIVER by Bryant McGee with contributions by Jim Reed

Unpublished manuscripts by Jim Reed:

MOM'S SUNSHINE SONG (a sequel to DAD'S TWEED COAT)
MIND YOUR P'S
TALES OF T TOWN
THE SAGA OF BUMBLY BEE
THE ROACH IN THE LOWERED CEILING WAS THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY
DEAR MOMA, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT IF YOU WHER A BOY I WHUD HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU

COURSES AND SEMINARS TAUGHT (partial list): Community outreach seminars:

Auburn University Special Studies
Comer Community School, Birmingham
Miles College (guest lecturer in writing program)
Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa
University of Alabama at Birmingham Special Studies
OTHER LECTURES AND CLASSES AND SIGNINGS (details on request):
AARP, Alabama Rural Electric Association, American Business Women Assn, Armed Forces Officers Wives , Birmingham Genealogical Society, Birmingham Mothers' Center, Breakfast Club, BPW clubs, Caxton Club, Chambers of Commerce, Civitan Clubs, Clay County Historical Society, Crestwood Garden Club, General Sumter Chapter, Eleanor Hord Literary Club, Exchange Clubs, Morgan County Historical Society, Hoover Historical Society , Institute of Management Accountants, Jerry Brown Arts Festival, Kiwanis clubs, Lions clubs, Little Rock Arkansas Book Club, National League of American Penwomen / Birmingham, New Horizons Club, Newcomers Club of Birmingham, Optimist Club, Public Relations Council of Birmingham, Rotary clubs, St Clair Historical Society Ragland, Sertoma clubs, Sons of the American Revolution Black Warrior River Chapters, Southern Magic/Romance Writers, Trussville Literary Club, Tuscaloosa Trailblazers, Twin Oaks Garden Club, Walker County Genealogical Society, Libraries in Homewood, Vestavia, Irondale, Downtown Birmingham, Gardendale, Talladega, Trussville, Blountsville, LAMP Program, Alabama Bound, Radio: WEZN, WAPI, Radio Reading Service, WSMQ, WTBC, WYDE, Churches: Cathedral of the Advent, Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian, Gardendale First Baptist, Independent Presbyterian, Northport Baptist, Southside Baptist, St. Luke's Episcopal, Valley Christian, Shades Valley Lutheran, Grace Presbyterian XYZ'ers, Southminster Presbyterian, Retirement facilities & Senior Groups: Fairhaven, First Presbyterian church of Bessemer, Mt Royal Towers, Galleria Oaks, Galleria Woods, Greenbriar at the Altamont, Joy Club (Jewish Community Center), Mountain Top Community Church, St Martin's, East Lake Methodist, Chateau Vestavia, Graysville, Pelham New Pioneers, Shepherd Center at Bluff Park Methodist Church, Shepherd Center Southside Baptist, The Park, Town Village Vestavia Hills Retirement Community. Schools: Briarwood Christian High School, John Carroll High, Madison Cross Roads, Vestavia Central, Pennington HS Blountsville, Susan Moore School Blount Cty, Southeastern Elementary Blount Cty, Southminster Presbyterian School, Seasoned Readers (19 public performances) Signings: Birmingham Art Association, Little Professor, Barnes & Nobel stores, Books A Million stores, Wildwood Writer's club, Bobby Frese BEARDS book store, Jonathan Benton, A Novel Approach, City Stages Spoken Word Festival, Crosshaven Books, Sisters in Crime Club, Southside Book Club, UAB Booktalk Others: Alabama Center for the Book, Drake Beam Morin, Economic Development Committee City of Bham, National League of Cities TV: WBRC Good Day Alabama, APTV For the Record, ABC/WBMA Good Morning Alabama, 44 PAX 10-17-99 civil rights, Channel 13 Midday show Writing sessions: Alabama Holistic Health College, Alabama Media Professionals, Auburn Special Studies, Birmingham Art Association, Birmingham Arts Journal, Comer School, Management Training Program, Miles College, Quill Club, Shelton State Community College, Tarrant Middle School Poets Tea, UAB seminar, West Jefferson Historical Society