The news hasn't been announced yet (and I haven't been sworn to secrecy either), but
someone from Bookfinder wanted to know why D. B. Clayton's autobiography was on the "most wanted" list again this year.... (number 2 last year, but dropped some this year)
my response:
Well, I can start off by saying that this year, it wasnt me looking for it!
I own a copy!
I think this a classic case of demand exceeding supply, but demand
probably not warranting a reprinting andnot an expensive
reprinting.....(there are lots of books like that).
Rev Clayton was an Universalist minister who preached throughout
the south, with regular congregations from eastern North Carolina to
western Mississippi down to Florida. Indeed at his death in 1907, he
had churches named for him in NC, SC, Florida, and Mississippi.
The appeal for book searchers now possibly is that this is one
of the few first hand accounts of the history of one branch of
liberal Christianity in the antebellum and reconstruction south. This
includes names of families, churches, politicians from Virginia to
Texas. So folks looking for information on their families and their
locations would be looking for this book. I suspect not many copies
show up on bookfinder, as it was self-published ( in two variant
editions with different bindings, one with a picture of Father
Clayton, one without). Ive seen 3 copies, and I know where a total of
about 8 are.
I havent really met anybody who wanted to pay big money for a copy -
but Ive met folks who state they'd like to READ my copy!
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