The Criminology Shelf

Hall of Mirrors, second edition
C. Arthur Ellis, Jr.
Gadfly Publishing
https://www.pr.com/company-profile/press-releases/81640
9780982094082, $53.71, PB, 206pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hall-Mirrors-Confirmation-Presentist-Continuing/dp/0= 982094086

Synopsis: Ruby McCollum was a wealthy African-American woman who shot and k= illed her white physician and state senator elect lover, Dr. C. LeRoy Adams=
in 1952.

This full color and updated second edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmati=
on and Presentist Biases in Continuing Accounts of the Ruby McCollum Story"=
is the most thoroughly researched work on the Ruby McCollum story publishe=
d since the work of William B. Huie.

Written by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. (the author who first published the annotate=
d transcript of the murder trial), "Hall of Mirrors" explores recent attemp=
ts to revise Ruby McCollum's story to suit the motives of various authors, = academics and film producers. "Hall of Mirrors" avoids the confirmation and=
presentist biases found in other works and presents this inherently fascin= ating story within its proper historical context.

"Hall of Mirrors" contains the full text of Ruby McCollum's letters from pr= ison, and from the Florida State Mental Hospital, which are highly revealin=
g of her personality. It also publishes, for the first time, the letters of=
Adams's nurse, Edith Park, who exposes Live Oak's dirty little secrets wit= hin the medical community.

A "must read" selection for readers who are seriously interested in the fac=
ts of the case, be forewarned that this new second edition of "Hall of Mirr= ors" is certain to offend those who steadfastly deny Ruby McCollum's guilt = and her role in the affair with Adams.

Critique: A model study of criminology, this newly expanded and updated sec= ond edition of "Hall of Mirrors : Confirmation and Presentist Biases in Con= tinuing Accounts of the Ruby McCollum Story" by C. Arthur Ellis Jr. is meti= culously researched, impressively detailed, exceptionally well written, def= tly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly in presentation. Informative=
ly enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a four page Preface, a two=
page Afterword, three Appendices ('Edith Park Notes and Letters'; 'Letters=
Written by Ruby McCollum; Deed Transferring House from Hopps to McCollum),=
and a six page Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for professi= onal, community, college, and university library Criminology and True Crime=
collections, this paperback coffee-table style (6 x 0.49 x 9 inches, 13.8 = ounces) volume is also readily available for personal reading lists in a di= gital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: As a first effort to explore the story of Ruby McCollum, Dr=
.. C. Arthur Ellis discovered that the trial transcript was no longer in the=
Suwannee County courthouse and that portions of the microfilm record at th=
e State of Florida archive were missing. After years of research, he manage=
d to compile a close facsimile of the transcript from two different sources=
, annotated the transcript, and published several works on the Ruby McCollu=
m story. He then donated a copy of his version of the transcript to the Flo= rida Collection at the University of Florida where it is archived in the Sm= athers Library.

His ten-year research effort of restoring the trial transcript also involve=
d reviewing hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, interviewing many =
of the characters in the story, recording his own memories, including drawi=
ng a floor plan of Adams' office where the murder took place. He also commi= ssioned over 50 oil paintings of the places and characters central to the R= uby McCollum story to preserve the "look" of this historical event for futu=
re generations. Finally, he documented information contributed by his fathe=
r who worked with Dr. Adams at the Suwannee County hospital.

For his work on Ruby McCollum, Dr. Ellis was a featured guest speaker at Mi= ami Book Fair International, and was invited to speak on the Ruby McCollum = story by LA Theatre Works on the anniversary of William Huie's investigativ=
e work on the same case. He has also been a featured guest speaker on the R= uby McCollum story at the Florida Historical Society and the Marjorie Kinna=
n Rawlings Society.

In 2014, Dr. Ellis worked with Ms. Ramona Ramdeen to complete a feature doc= umentary on the Ruby McCollum story, entitled, CURTAIN OF SECRECY. In this = film Dr. Ellis is joined by his wife, who offers her analysis of the charac= ters of the story from her point of view as a forensic psychologist.

Also, in the fall of 2014, Drs. Ellis appeared on A Crime to Remember in th=
e season episode, The Shot Doctor, featuring the Ruby McCollum story.

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