Meet the Author of Baja Diaries-Chronicles of a Paradise Lost

                                                                                                                                                               by Kevin Byrd                                           
 

This is not the first book to be written by George Puckett but at age sixty two, it is his first attempt at Creative Non-Fiction. He is the father of three. He has two sons and both are paralyzed. The younger son, Edward, is paraplegic and the older son, Everett, is quadriplegic.

Some of the proceeds from this and other books will fund Everett's visit to Project Walk in an attempt to get him on his feet and walking again. Proceeds will also be used to help with Edward’s graduate school expenses. George also has a beautiful daughter, Alysia Marie, who is an Elementary School Teacher.

 The Author: George Puckett & Wife Tina
 

In 1962 he graduated from Mitchell High School in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, this was an all Black school. His teachers were really concerned about the welfare and the future of all the students.

George attended undergraduate school at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in the turbulent 60’s where he was active in the Civil Rights Movement a student there. He participated in numerous Civil Rights demonstrations including picketing Lester Maddox’s “Pickrick” restaurant in Atlanta. At one point the Klan was on one side of the street and the Civil Rights protestors were on the other with their opposing picket signs.

Mr. Maddox would go on to become a one term Governor of the state of Georgia.

He was also privileged to have had breakfast and conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King, along with a dozen other students. The location of these breakfasts was a student center named the Canterbury House and was sponsored by the Episcopalian Church. Father Warren Scott, an Episcopalian Priest facilitated these gatherings. Among those speaking at various breakfasts were Julian Bond, Andrew Young, Stokeley Carmichael, H. Rapp Brown and others. None knew that they were to be a part of the history of the Civil Rights Movement in America.

In 1964 the author attended the Democratic Convention in Atlantic City, NJ. He was not a part of any seated delegation but among those outside the Convention demonstrating to have the “Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party” delegation seated.

Blacks and Whites demonstrated outside the Convention for many days. One night George found himself arm-in-arm with Civil Right’s leader Bayard Rustin singing “We Shall Overcome.”

After attending Morehouse College for two years George left for financial reasons to attend the then LeMoyne College in Memphis for one year.  After one year at LeMoyne, shortly after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in Viet Nam, he joined the US Air Force for 4 years.

After an Honorable Discharge from military service, George attended San Jose State University where he graduated with honors in 1972.

Following his graduation from San Jose State, he attended graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where he pursued graduate studies in Political Science.

He and his wife Tina spent seven years in Baja California Norte, near the town of Ensenada. This book is about those times, good and bad, which they experienced while there.

Other Books by George Puckett:

“Video Visions” published in 1994 by ESP Publishing, ISBN: 09640359-0-1

“Notary Riches” and e-book soon to be in print

Works in progress:
”Our Sons, Our Dreams, Our Lives” about the seven year period of caring for his son, Everett after leaving Ensenada, Mexico.

“The Black and White Murders,” A murder mystery set in a small southern town near Memphis, TN

Visit the New Baja Diaries Forum at, http://bajadiaries.lefora.com

                      The Real Me

"...So I added my wife Tina's picture to the back cover because she lived through all of these adventures with me. She helped me  when my memory was hazy on some recollections and she did most of the final editing of the book."