Website for Joseph Kitchens, Author and Historian

My Georgia

My family settled on Georgia’s frontier more than 200 years ago. So, I am inspired by family memories, especially my mother’s rich stories of small- town life during the Depression and her life as the young wife of a construction engineer, living in dozens of towns and cities.

My career as a history professor, director of the legendary Pebble Hill Plantation and as the first head of Georgia’s “Official Frontier and Native American Interpretive Center” at Reinhardt University, inspired in-depth study and reflection on the story of my beloved Georgia.

Here, I share my reactions to books, old and new, that have shaped my understanding, revisit childhood memories, and share my humor and experiences.

 I hope readers will help me uncover forgotten history in “God’s Smallest Places,” stories of how history has impacted ordinary people. I will retrieve some of these “lost” or little-known stories and I hope to share some of yours.

Some of my writing fits into the category of “life writing” based on memories and life experiences. My short story “Going Home on the Nancy Hanks” was winner of the Fleming Prize for short fiction in 2020.

Watch for dog stories if dogs are your passion, too. Karen and I are adoptive parents of yellow labrador retrievers.

I am a frequent speaker to historical and heritage groups. If you would like a program on Georgia History, Native Americans in Georgia or related subjects, contact me at gajoe42@gmail.com.