Paul Gaston's new memoir weaves stories of social justice into a forceful, personal narrative. In his first book-length work in recent years, renowned southern historian and civil rights activist Paul Gaston chronicles his story of a committed life and reveals his deep roots in the unique utopian community founded in 1894 by his grandfather and later led by his father on the shores of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Fairhope grew into a unique political, economic, and educational experiment; a center of radical economic and educational ideals and institutions, and home to a vibrant idealism and creative arts. It was a haven for reformers, writers, and other visitors. As time passed, however, Fairhope's radical nature went into decline. By the early 1950s it was clear that great changes were coming to the South, and the author began to look outward for ways to take part in the coming struggle, the civil rights movement. Gaston's career at the University of Virginia, where he taught from 1957 to 1997, forms the core of Coming of Age in Utopia, and the story Gaston tells of social change both in the city of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia is one in which he played significant roles. Paul Gaston's life and career are marked by his devotion to the rich cultural history of the South, and his calls for social justice echo throughout his collected scholastic works. As a result of this passionate commitment, both personal and professional, to progress in his native land, Gaston has garnered a reputation as one of the most respected southern historians in the country.