Raymond L. Atkins, an award-winning novelist and instructor of English at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC), has released the novel “South of the Etowah: The View from the Wrong Side of the River” his fifth novel and his first creative non-fiction book.

The novel is a collection of humorous essays that covers a diverse range of topics as seen from the porch of his home on the southern bank of the Etowah River.

“This sharply written collection of essays is brilliantly witty, occasionally humbling, and addictively entertaining. I just couldn't put it down!” said Jeff High, award-winning author of the Watervalley Books Series.

From his unique perspective, Atkins shares some insights on holidays, parenthood, cars, home ownership, aging, travel, medicine, technology, ballet, movies, marriage, Shakespeare, dogs, cats, music, swimming pools, vintage television, nicknames, amusement parks, restaurants, school projects, language, computers, hair, bad jobs, William Faulkner, weddings, advertising, Broadway plays, yard work, hospitals, cooking, Elvis Presley, moving, money, art, college, dinner theater, and a variety of other subjects.

“In a world polluted with bad news, shallow sound bites, sadness, and terror, ‘South of the Etowah’ is a breath of fresh air,” said Catherine McCall, author of “Never Tell” an international best-selling memoir. “Each story has that down home Southern texture so typical of Atkins’ books, but here we get to meet him in the intimate worlds of his marriage and family life, where we experience his compassion, integrity, and his imaginative and humorous twists on the day to day.”

Atkins resides in Rome and is the author of four other novels. His first novel, “Front Porch Prophet,” won the 2008 Georgia Author of the Year Award for First Novel. Atkins’ third novel, “Camp Redemption,” was awarded the Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction and the 2014 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Fiction. His fourth novel, “Sweetwater Blues,” was a Townsend Prize nominee.

Adkins is also spearheading GNTC’s new student-run literary journal “Georgia Mountain Review,” which is scheduled to begin distribution in April. The literary journal will be approximately 50 pages with 16 pages of art and will be published yearly. A team of GNTC student editors will select submissions which will include prose, poetry, artwork, essays, non-fiction, and photos. Atkins will act as a mentor for the student editors and the journal.

For more information about “South of the Etowah” and Adkins’ other novels, visit the web site www.raymondlatkins.com. 

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma, or a certificate in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 13,734 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,876 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 5,858 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start.

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