show bio Jay Jennings

Jay Jennings is a freelance writer whose journalism, book reviews and humor have appeared in many national magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Oxford American, and Travel & Leisure. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times Book Review. His work has been recognized by The Best American Sports Writing annual and has appeared in the humor anthology Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor. "Carry the Rock: Race, Football and the Soul of an American City" is his first book. He was born, raised and played high school football in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he now lives.

Carry the Rock: Race, Football and the Soul of an American City
Date: 9/30/2010

A veteran sports writer and Little Rock native, Jay Jennings discusses his new book, "Carry the Rock," which follows the Little Rock Central High School football team on the 50th Anniversary of the school’s historic 1957 desegregation crisis. Jennings tells the compelling story of a modern high school football team, where black and white students come together under legendary Coach Bernie Cox, whose philosophy of discipline and physical brand of football know no color. The book revisits the legacy of the Little Rock Nine, chronicles the dramatic ups and downs of a high school football season and reveals a city struggling with its legacy of racial tension.

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