Tenured Cynic’s Hopeful Book Garners Early Press After July 1 Launch

State’s largest paper covers The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture in Sunday edition

Click for full-sized image of the July 20 edition of The Pointe Coupee Banner.

Baton Rouge, LA — July 31, 2023 — Multiple newspapers have dedicated many column inches to covering Jeremy White’s new memoir about his wife, Edie, finding her biological family in 2018 and the beautifully insane story that ensued. One day after the launch of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery, the July 2 edition of The Sunday Advocate included a report on the tenured cynic’s hopeful book.

More recently, Edie White’s hometown newspaper ran a full-page, full-color feature on her and the book in which she’s the hero. Kevin Fambrough’s in-depth coverage in the July 20 edition of The Pointe Coupee Banner features several photos, including some taken during a launch event at Cavalier House Books. That’s where Fambrough interviewed the 1988 valedictorian of Catholic High School-Pointe Coupee for his report.

Edie White’s hometown newspaper ran a full-page, full-color feature on her and the book in which she’s the hero.

Readers of The Little Girl learn how, literally overnight, the baby of Edie’s adopted family becomes the eldest sibling in a new, amazing family, fathered by a pacifist cited in two books for challenging David Duke at LSU with a bloody knife. During her pre-COVID travels with Jeremy to Seattle, Austin, Chicago, and California wine country, Edie ultimately solves the last of three mysteries presented to her: What happened to the little girl at the bottom of the picture? It’s a question that plagued an enthusiastic horde of gangster-adjacent Ukrainian Americans for more than 65 years.

The Pointe Coupee Banner began operation in 1880 and has published without interruption during wartime eras and numerous natural disasters. Meanwhile, The Advocate is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper with the largest circulation among all dailies in Louisiana.

White Lines Press published the 468-page hardcover edition of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture on July 1. Signed editions are available at LittleGirlBook.com and through partnered indie bookstores around the country, including Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs and Red Stick Reads in Baton Rouge. For more information and resources, visit our media center. Inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

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July 21, 2023July 21, 2023

Pointe Coupee Banner Covers Launch of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

The following was printed as a feature in the Thursday, July 20, 2023, edition of The Pointe Coupee Banner.

July 11, 2023July 12, 2023

Jeremy White discusses impact of writing The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

Jeremy and Edie White atop Rattlesnake Ridge with the Cascades in the background

Talk 107.3 FM host Brian Haldane caught up with author Jeremy White to talk about his new book, The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery. Originally airing on July 7, the 12.5-minute radio segment represents White’s first appearance on the station to discuss the hopeful memoir about his wife, Edie, discovering her biological family in 2018 and the beautifully insane adventure that ensued.

“All of that source material sort of gave me a peephole into Edie’s point of view along the way,” the author explains, “and it really, really forced me to empathize with my wife. It’s like that ‘Running Up That Hill’ song by Kate Bush; it’s about that empathetic swapping of perspectives.”

The two old friends discuss White’s debut book, its early success, and the impact that it’s already having on readers. Haldane and his listeners also learn how Edie’s pacifist birth father, John Hart, is cited in two books for challenging David Duke with a bloody knife at LSU. White then shares his experience writing this deeply personal story about his wife of over thirty years. “All of that source material sort of gave me a peephole into Edie’s point of view along the way,” the author explains, “and it really, really forced me to empathize with my wife. It’s like that ‘Running Up That Hill’ song by Kate Bush; it’s about that empathetic swapping of perspectives.”

Mornings With Brian Haldane airs live on weekdays from 6-9 a.m. on Talk 107.3 FM, WBRP, in Baton Rouge. Haldane regularly interviews newsmakers from the political world and beyond. Listeners can hear White’s interview from July 7 on the show’s archive.

Jeremy White is a tenured cynic who penned this hopeful book. He founded South Louisiana’s premier satirical publication in 2004, eight years before relaunching the award-winning Red Shtick Magazine as its all-digital progeny, The Red Shtick. The passionate Cajun can often be heard on various popular radio shows as either a guest or a guest host. A longtime football official and Mardi Gras krewe captain, Jeremy earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at LSU, where he and Edie met. They’ve been happily married since 1992 and live in Baton Rouge with their cat, Waffles.

White Lines Press (an imprint of Red Stick Comedy, LLC) published the 468-page hardcover edition of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture on July 1. Readers can order signed copies at LittleGirlBook.com. Signed hardcover editions are also available through partnered indie bookstores across the country. For more information and resources, visit our media center. Inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

July 10, 2023July 12, 2023

Author Jeremy White talks to Jim Engster about John Hart’s encounter with David Duke at LSU

Talk Louisiana host Jim Engster brought back author Jeremy White to discuss his new book, The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery. Originally airing on June 28, the six-minute radio segment represents White’s second appearance on the show to talk about his hopeful memoir detailing how his wife, Edie, who was adopted at birth and raised by a loving family, discovered her biological family after altruistically submitting her DNA in early 2018.

Much more so than in his April 17 appearance with Engster, White gets to tell listeners about Edie’s birth father, John Hart, a devout pacifist who made headlines for challenging David Duke with a bloody knife. Occuring while Hart was “getting his Ph.D. in wokeness at LSU,” White says the incident “might be in the top 10 most interesting things about John Hart.” The debut author also divulges plans for a future spin-off book about his wife’s father, one White would write with the help of Edie’s newfound baby brother in Renton, WA.

White gets to tell listeners about Edie’s birth father, John Hart, a devout pacifist who made headlines for challenging David Duke with a bloody knife.

Talk Louisiana connects listeners with Louisiana newsmakers through live interviews. Hosted by award-winning journalist and broadcast veteran Jim Engster, Talk Louisiana airs live every weekday at 9 a.m. on WRKF-FM, where it is later rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Listeners can hear White’s interview on the show’s podcast episode from June 28.

July 4, 2023August 2, 2023

Tenured Cynic Signing Copies of Hopeful Book at Red Stick Reads

Author Jeremy White signing copies of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

Baton Rouge, LA — July 4, 2023 — Red Stick Reads in Mid City is hosting an after-hours event for Jeremy White’s The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 7. White will be on hand to sign copies of his new book about his wife, Edie, discovering her biological family in 2018 and the beautifully insane adventure that ensued.

Literally overnight, the baby of Edie’s adopted family becomes the eldest sibling in a new, amazing family, fathered by a pacifist cited in two books for challenging David Duke at LSU with a bloody knife. During her pre-COVID travels with Jeremy to Seattle, Austin, Chicago, and California wine country, Edie ultimately solves the last of three mysteries presented to her: What happened to the little girl at the bottom of the picture? It’s a question that plagued an enthusiastic horde of gangster-adjacent Ukrainian Americans for more than 65 years.

Literally overnight, the baby of Edie’s adopted family becomes the eldest sibling in a new, amazing family, fathered by a pacifist cited in two books for challenging David Duke at LSU with a bloody knife.

It’s a true family adventure “told with mirth and joy, as well as a healthy dollop of Jeremy White’s wit,” according to James Hyfield, who, with his wife, Tere, owns and operates Red Stick Reads at 541 S. Eugene Street near Baton Rouge High School. “Against all odds, this tale ends with happiness, and a greater understanding of the joy of family, and of all the lives that can be touched and improved by a seemingly simple, yet altruistic, search for connection.”

The popular boutique-style shop’s owners teamed up with White months ago for the pre-launch phase, a fact he’s proud of. “We’re excited to have partnered with folks like the Hyfields, who are doing so much good for their community in so many ways that transcend bookselling,” White says. “I’ve personally stumbled upon them freely giving their time and energy to educate and mentor area youths.”

White Lines Press published the 468-page hardcover edition of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture on July 1. Signed editions are available at LittleGirlBook.com and through partnered indie bookstores around the country. For more information and resources, visit our media center. Inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

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June 30, 2023July 21, 2023

The Advocate Reports on Launch of The Little Girl at the Bottom the Picture

The following was posted as a staff report on TheAdvocate.com on June 30, 2023, and printed in the Sunday, July 2, edition of The Advocate.

Mysteries solved: Baton Rouge’s Jeremy White recounts wife’s search for new family

When it came to inspiration for his debut book, Baton Rouge author Jeremy White found it in wife Edie White’s search for her biological family.

The result, “The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery,” was released Saturday.

The self-published work tracks the couple’s multi-directional adventure once Edie White, through AncestryDNA, learns that her father’s name is John Hart. Edie White, who was raised by a loving adopted family, in turn, discovers another new family and reaches out.

What unfolds in “The Little Girl” is “how the bombshell propels the two college sweethearts into this beautifully epic, transformational adventure that resolves a trio of daunting mysteries, including one plaguing an enthusiastic horde of gangster-adjacent Ukrainian Americans for two-thirds of a century,” according to a news release.

Also intriguing is that John Hart was a pacifist cited in two books for challenging David Duke at LSU with a bloody knife.

The chapters detail the couple’s trips to Seattle, Austin, Chicago, and California wine country to meet her far-flung new family.

“Some … see her as a wonderful expansion of their incredibly loving families. Others see her as a bona fide miracle. And at least one person considers Edie the answer to a long-secret prayer that she didn’t expect to receive until the afterlife,” the release also says.

The book is filled with happy reunions, including one involving a local bookstore, that the author describes as mind-blowing.

“Edie’s selfless agenda is the heart of this powerful story of healing, and sets it apart from other works about similar searches,” according to the release. “Our reluctant hero successfully dodges all the traps that could have turned this unicorn of a real-life family saga into a darker version of the insane yet heartwarming tale that it is.”

The 468-page hardcover book is available at LittleGirlBook.com or at Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs.

June 29, 2023

Tenured Cynic’s Hopeful Book Features LSU Student Leader Impeached as Spy for Baton Rouge Police

The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture‘s Chapter 11 named for disgraced narc

Baton Rouge, LA — June 29, 2023 — An LSU student government member impeached for secretly working with local law enforcement plays an important role in Jeremy White’s book about his wife, Edie, discovering her biological family in 2018 and the beautifully insane adventure that ensued. Chapter 11 of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery is named after August “Gus” Tabony, a former LSU SG financial vice president who was impeached in 1974 after it was discovered he was employed by the intelligence division of the Baton Rouge Police Department.

The 1980 LSU Gumbo recaps notable events from the 1970s.

“Gus Tabony plays a dubious role in the history of my wife’s biological father, John Hart,” White explains. “This real-life unicorn of a family saga is heavy on happy reunions, but there are a handful of dark moments that offer contrasts to the light moments, and this Tabony fellow provides the darkest of the dark. In chapter 11,” White adds, “readers learn how, over half a century later, the disgraced narc still haunts the nightmares of my wife’s birth father.”

“There are a handful of dark moments that offer contrasts to the light moments, and this Tabony fellow provides the darkest of the dark.”

The Little Girl immersively details how, literally overnight, the baby of Edie’s adopted family becomes the eldest sibling in a new, amazing family, fathered by a pacifist cited in two books for challenging David Duke at LSU with a bloody knife. During her pre-COVID travels with Jeremy to Seattle, Austin, Chicago, and California wine country, Edie ultimately solves the last of three mysteries presented to her: What happened to the little girl at the bottom of the picture? It’s a question that plagued an enthusiastic horde of gangster-adjacent Ukrainian Americans for more than 65 years.

White Lines Press is publishing the 468-page hardcover edition of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture on July 1, but readers can pre-order signed copies at LittleGirlBook.com, where 1 in 20 customers will win a signed “lagniappe” copy. Signed hardcover editions are also available through partnered indie bookstores around the country. For more information and resources, visit our media center. Inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

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June 26, 2023June 26, 2023

Cavalier House Books Hosts Launch of Tenured Cynic’s Hopeful Book

Author Jeremy White signing copies of The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

Baton Rouge, LA — June 26, 2023 — Cavalier House Books in downtown Denham Springs is hosting the official launch of Jeremy White’s The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 1. White will be on hand to sign copies of his book about his wife, Edie, discovering her biological family in 2018 and the beautifully insane adventure that ensued.

“Cavalier House Books is hosting our official launch party on July 1, which happens to be the fifth anniversary of the most pivotal event in this unicorn of a real-life story.”

“Jeremy White captures the emotions of his expanding family through the story of his wife’s search for her biological heritage,” says Michelle Cavalier, who—along with her husband, John—owns and operates Cavalier House Books at 114 N. Range Ave. in the Denham Springs Antique Village. “I walked away from this memoir not only feeling like I know these folks but like I genuinely care for them.” She describes White’s debut book as “a fascinating and abundantly charming family story, well researched and lovingly told.”

White says the Cavaliers have provided immeasurable assistance and guidance in successfully launching his independently published debut book. “John opened my eyes to the potential of partnering with indie bookstores, owned and staffed by fellow human beings to help spread the word about this very human story,” the author explains, “as opposed to being completely beholden to an arcane algorithm.” White adds, “That’s why Cavalier House Books is hosting our official launch party on July 1, which happens to be the fifth anniversary of the most pivotal event in this unicorn of a real-life story.”

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June 21, 2023June 21, 2023

Uptown Merchant Helps Tenured Cynic Launch Hopeful Book

Octavia Books taking pre-orders for The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

Baton Rouge, LA — June 21, 2023 — Octavia Books in the New Orleans West Riverside neighborhood has partnered with White Lines Press in launching Jeremy White’s upcoming debut book about his wife discovering her biological family in 2018 and the insanely beautiful, transformational journey that ensued. The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery details how Edie White solved a 65-year-old mystery that plagued a Ukrainian American family near Chicago, after initially learning her pacifist father is cited in two books for challenging David Duke with a bloody knife at LSU.

“In the latter chapters of our incredible journey,” author Jeremy White says, “I offer readers a taste of New Orleans, which hosts happy reunions at Oktoberfest, Greek Fest, and Mardi Gras. Readers also learn about the krewes of Muses, Bacchus, Thoth, and Box of Wine. Same goes for the 610 Stompers and Mr. Bingle.” White adds, “For nearly a quarter century, Octavia Books has encapsulated the flavor of New Orleans, and we’re excited to be partnered with the community-minded folks there.”

Octavia Books underwrites The Reading Life, a weekly radio show hosted by Susan Larson on WWNO, and serves as the official retailer of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival.

Owner Tom Lowenburg, along with his wife, Judith Lafitte, opened Octavia Books in 2000 at 513 Octavia Street in a historic building at the corner of Laurel. Locals learned of the duo’s commitment to the city when they managed to reopen their doors just over a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. Octavia Books underwrites The Reading Life, a weekly radio show hosted by Susan Larson on WWNO, and serves as the official retailer of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. The store will soon double in size upon the completion of renovations that also incorporate Scrambled, a restaurant next door.

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June 20, 2023June 24, 2023

Mid City Merchant Helps Tenured Cynic Launch Hopeful Book

Red Stick Reads taking pre-orders for The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture

Baton Rouge, LA — June 20, 2023 — Red Stick Reads in Mid City has partnered with White Lines Press in launching Jeremy White’s upcoming book about his wife discovering her biological family in 2018 and the insanely beautiful, transformational journey that ensued. The Little Girl at the Bottom of the Picture: A Journey of Selfless Discovery details how Edie White solved a 65-year-old mystery that plagued a Ukrainian American family, after initially learning her pacifist father is cited in two books for challenging David Duke with a bloody knife at LSU.

It’s a true family adventure “told with mirth and joy, as well as a healthy dollop of Jeremy White’s wit,” according to James Hyfield, who owns and operates the popular boutique-style shop with his wife, Tere. “Against all odds, this tale ends with happiness, and a greater understanding of the joy of family, and of all the lives that can be touched and improved by a seemingly simple, yet altruistic, search for connection.”

“We’re excited to be partnered with folks like the Hyfields, who are doing so much good for their community in so many ways that transcend bookselling.”

The Hyfields began selling books with a pop-up model shop before moving into a permanent spot near Baton Rouge High School in 2020. The husband-and-wife team converted the former office at 541 S. Eugene Street into Red Stick Reads, a boutique-style, neighborhood bookstore with the aim of offering “a special and unique space for fellow book lovers in our community to come together and connect over a shared love of all things books. We believe in the power of storytelling, and offer a carefully curated selection of books that we hope inspires a love of reading.” In July 2022, the Hyfields expanded into an adjacent space, doubling their square footage.

“We’re excited to be partnered with folks like the Hyfields, who are doing so much good for their community in so many ways that transcend bookselling,” White says. “I’ve personally stumbled upon them freely giving their time and energy to educate and mentor area youths.” The author adds that Red Stick Reads will host a book signing on Friday, July 7.

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