The Homewood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that our speaker for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, December 15, is the one and only Rick Bragg.

Please make your reservations early as we are expecting a very large crowd.

Reservations can be made on line or by calling the Chamber office at 871-5631. The meeting will be to be held on December 15th at 11:30 am at Rosewood Hall.

Our presenting sponsor is Alabama Book Smith. The Birmingham News will be our major sponsor and Kathy Gee will be catering. The Homewood Middle School Choir will be performing and we will be electing our new officers and presenting the awards for our outstanding business and member of the year.  

You do not want to miss our famous guest speaker. Rick Bragg has won the Pulitzer Prize, The Clarence Cason Award presented to the top non-fiction writer in Alabama, the Harper Lee Lifetime Literary Award for his body of work, and 50 other writing awards. The first book in his family trilogy, All Over but the Shoutin' was named Memoir of the Year by ABC Television, and the other two works, Ava's Man and Prince of Frogtown were each named Book of the Year respectfully,  by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.

His newest release, and many critics say his best, The Most They Ever Had, is a harsh look at life as a mill worker. Many in Bragg's family, including his brother, labored in Alabama's cotton mills.

After completing a distinguished journalism career, including several years at The New York Times, Professor Bragg accepted a position on faculty at The University of Alabama, teaching the craft of writing.  While he still regularly goes home to Calhoun County, he lives in Tuscaloosa with his wife, Dianne and son, Jake. That is, when he is able to take time from his constant public appearance engagements around the country. Rick Bragg is one of America's most sought-after speakers, and certainly one of this state's biggest attractions.

Copies of Rick Bragg's new book, The Most They Ever Had, as well as the banded set, The Rick Bragg Family Trilogy will be available for sale and Mr. Bragg has agreed to sign.