W. Ralph Eubanks

W. Ralph Eubanks
Born	Warren Ralph Eubanks, Jr. (1957-06-25) June 25, 1957 Mount Olive, Mississippi
Occupation	Author; Journalist; Professor; Public speaker; Director of Publishing, Library of Congress
Language	English
Nationality	American
Education	Bachelor's degree in English and Psychology; Masters degree in English Language and Literature
Alma mater	University of Mississippi University of Michigan
Genre	History; Memoir
Spouse	Colleen Eubanks
Children	3
Website
www.wralpheubanks.com
Literature portal

W. Ralph Eubanks (born June 25, 1957) is an American author, journalist, professor, public speaker, and business executive. From 1995 until May 2013 he was the Director of Publishing of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In June 2013 he became the editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review at the University of Virginia. He has served as an advisor and adjunct professor on staff at the University of Virginia and George Mason University. In 2007, he was honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship, in recognition of his published memoir, Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi's Dark Past, which Washington Post literary critic Jonathan Yardley named as one of the best nonfiction books of 2003.

Personal background

Warren Ralph Eubanks, Jr. was born on June 25, 1957 in Mount Olive, Mississippi. He is the son of Warren Ralph Eubanks, Sr. and Lucille Richardson Eubanks. He graduated in 1974 from Mount Olive High School. Following high school, he enrolled at the University of Mississippi, earning a Bachelor's degree in English and Psychology. During his senior year, he served as the President of the Sigma Tau Delta collegiate honor society, which focused on the study of English and Literature. In 1978, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he enrolled at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1979, with a Masters degree in English Language and Literature.

As of 2013, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Colleen (née Delaney) Eubanks, and their three children.

Professional background

Publishing

In 1980, following completion of his Masters degree, Eubanks began his career in publishing, working with the American Geophysical Union as a copy editor. He remained with the organization through 1984. In 1989, he began serving on the editorial staff of Hemisphere Publishing, where he remained for two years. As Managing Editor, he oversaw the production of over 75 books and scholarly journals. In 1990, he began working with the American Psychological Association, where he served as the Director of Book Publishing for five years. In 1995, he joined the staff of the Library of Congress as the Director of Publishing. In May 2013 he was announced as the new editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review.

Academia

While Eubanks was working with the American Psychological Association, he simultaneously served as a faculty advisor for Howard University's summer book publishing program. He remained with the program from 1992 to 1994. From 1994 until 2002, he served as an advisor and adjunct professor on staff at the University of Virginia, where he worked with the Publishing and Communications Institute. While at the Publishing and Communications Institute, he taught a publishing overview class "The World of Publishing," a class called "The Business of Publishing," and was a guest lecturer in the University of Virginia's Summer Publishing Institute. In 2009, he taught a class on writing the memoir in the MFA program at George Mason University.

Writing

Books

Eubanks is the author of two books, which serve as memoirs of his life and family. His 2003 book, entitled Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi's Dark Past, was recognized as one of the best nonfiction books of the year by Washington Post literary critic Jonathan Yardley. In 2009, Eubanks' memoir, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South was released by HarperCollins. The historical biography takes a look at American identity and race relations, presented in context with contemporary issues experienced by three generations of his family.

Journalism

Eubanks has written numerous newspaper and magazine articles, primarily focusing on academia and race relations. On January 1, 2006, he wrote an article for The Washington Post, entitled "DNA Is Only One Way to Spell Identity". On June 13, 2006, his article "Still Learning From Dad" was published in The Washington Post. His article "At Ole Miss, a Valedictory to the Old South" was published by The Washington Post on September 21, 2008. Eubanks has written articles for Preservation Magazine, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. His articles include "A Southern Awakening", published in the September/October 2003 issue; and "Separate But Unequal", published in the July/August 2005 issue.

He has also written an article on Affirmative Action for The American Scholar. Articles for the Chicago Tribune include "A Trip Back Home for a Lesson in Justice".

In addition to newspaper and magazine articles, Eubanks has written book reviews for The Washington Post. These include reviews for Sarah Johnson's Mount Vernon by Scott E. Casper, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, and Them by Nathan McCall. He also reviewed the book A Father's Law, written by Richard Wright, which was unfinished at the time of Wright's death in 1960. In 2008, his daughter, Julia, finished the book and published it in his honor, on what would have been his 100th birthday.

Radio

Eubanks has appeared in radio interviews on race relations for National Public Radio. In 2004, he appeared on All Things Considered, where he spoke about the 1964 murder of three American civil rights workers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, whose deaths were attributed to members of the Ku Klux Klan.

On July 27, 2009, Eubanks appeared as a guest on Talk of the Nation, speaking on race relations and police conduct in the aftermath of the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On July 16, 2009, Gates, who is a professor of African American studies at Harvard University, was arrested outside of his home following his return from a research trip to China. Upon his arrival, he found the front door of his home jammed and attempted to enter by forcing the door open. Police responded to a telephone call from a passerby, who alerted law enforcement of a possible break-in at the home. Gates was subsequently arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. While the charges were dropped five days later, the arrest sparked a nationwide debate, resulting in attempts by US President Barack Obama, legislators, law enforcement, and Americans throughout the country to ascertain whether or not the incident could be accurately represent racial profiling.

Honors and awards

• 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship with the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
• The Bernard L. Schwartz Fellowship with the New America Foundation

Published works

Books

• Eubanks, W. Ralph (2003). Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi's Dark Past, Basic Books, 256 pages. ISBN 978-0738205700
• Eubanks, W. Ralph (2009). The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South, HarperCollins/Smithsonian, 224 pages. ISBN 978-0061375736

Articles

• "DNA Is Only One Way to Spell Identity", The Washington Post January 1, 2006.
• "Still Learning From Dad", The Washington Post, June 13, 2006
• "At Ole Miss, a Valedictory to the Old South", The Washington Post, September 21, 2008

External links

• Official website
• The House at the End of the Road The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South at the University Press of Mississippi
• Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi's Dark Past interview on National Public Radio