The latest book by Eckhartz Press is a novel set in 1961 called Sarasota. It’s a marvelous work of historical fiction involving the Jim Crow South in the 1960s, and how the Chicago White Sox played a small role in helping to ease racial tensions. We caught up the author of the book, Richard Reeder, to get into a more in-depth discussion of what readers can expect.
EP: The story is told through the eyes of William Pennington, a white, crusading journalist who pivots from the 1960 Kennedy campaign to the public relations office of the Chicago White Sox. How does Pennington’s dual background in political reporting and corporate PR shape the way he observes—and acts upon—racial injustice?
Richard: Pennington’s keen skills of observation make him deeply aware of the discrepancy between idealistic talk and the failure to implement these ideals into actions for societal change. He makes the choice of being an actor in life rather than a talker.
EP: Famed author Stuart Dybek noted that your writing carries an “I was there” sense of moral clarity. How did you maintain this high-stakes realism without letting the historical elements overshadow the personal arcs of the characters?
Richard: I was sixteen in 1961, and I remember vividly how and what people said and acted back then. Occasionally their words were hurtful and hateful. I made the conscious choice as an author to write these into the narrative to accurately reflect the times we were living in. I used Pennington’s spoken words and interior monologue to counter this with his moral clarity.
EP: Sarasota highlights how discrimination against Black professional baseball players in the American South persisted long after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947. What did you learn about the specific Jim Crow practices that players faced during spring training in Florida?
Richard: I read a good number newspaper articles by Wendell Smith, a Black journalist who wrote extensively about how Black players suffered the indignities of separate and inferior room and board in the South in the decade and a half after Jackie Robinson came up to the major leagues. Smith’s articles also exposed how Black baseball players who were drafted and stationed in the South were also victims of discrimination. I couldn’t have written this book without his trailblazing articles.
EP: How does the novel depict the role of an institution like the Chicago White Sox in the broader civil rights movement? Do you feel sports organizations have a unique responsibility to drive societal change, both then and now?
Richard: The White Sox organization demonstrated moral courage to buy a segregated hotel in Sarasota and integrate it immediately. The White Sox believed and practiced fairness, decency, and inclusiveness; qualities that ultimately unified the team. Those three qualities should be the gold standard for any organization, sports or otherwise, and if practiced, societal change will evolve organically.
EP: Your background includes extensive work in Chicago government, social services, and education. Did any of that find its way into the narrative?
Richard: Absolutely! Some of my fictional characters were composites of individuals whom I encountered during my career.
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