As a child on a cold Christmas Eve in a country farmhouse in the early 1950s, R. Olin Jackson sat mesmerized before a crackling warm fire in the hearth at his family home in the mountains of northwest Georgia, as his father read - in a deep sonorous voice - Clement Clarke Moore's immortal "T'was The Night Before Christmas." Olin, his brother, David, and sisters Patricia and Mary were fascinated and awed by this wonderfully-lyrical work of art, just as children occasionally continue to be even today. The unique verse in Moore's poem introduced Olin to the inspirational world of that art and its poignant influences upon life.
Even though he didn't know it at the time, poetry was to become incremental to Olin's life. Inspired by such masterpieces as Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," the captivating Kipling's "If," John Greenleaf Whittier's "The Barefoot Boy," and the incomparable Longfellow's "The Wreck of the Hesperus," Olin eventually began making lyrical attempts of his own.
On the pages which follow, a handful of those efforts are presented for the reader. In these heart-felt simple works, Olin has presented a picture of, perhaps, the forces at work as one pursues his or her daily life, and further, musings of the manner in which the Almighty demonstrates to each and every one of us what truly is important in this life so fleeting. . . .
R. Olin Jackson founded Legacy Communications, Inc., in 1985, where he became the award-winning executive editor and publisher of his flagship creations - North Georgia Journal and Georgia Backroads magazines. He ultimately built these endeavors into the premier travel and history publications of Georgia.During his tenure at Legacy Communications, Olin was the recipient of a number of awards from the Magazine Association of Georgia (MAG) for excellence in publishing. He parlayed this business endeavor into a long and fruitful career before selling it in 2005. Georgia Backroads is now in its 38th year (as of 2024) of publication and is one of the longest-running magazines in the state.In the interim of his work at Legacy Communications, Olin also wrote/co-wrote a selection of books, including "Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia" (2003); "Tales of the Rails in Georgia" (2004); and "Georgia Backroads Traveler" (2005) among others.In 2021, Olin founded Whippoorwill Publications, LLC. His creations there include "Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume I" (2022) (honored with a "Five-Star Award" by Readers' Favorite book awards); "Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume II" (2023); "Some Genealogy Keys to Some Georgia Family Trees" (2023); "Memories of Army Life and MPs of the 529th" (2023); and "John Henry "Doc" Holliday" (2023). Other works in progress include "Gunmen, Lawmen and Wild Men of Early Georgia"; and a captivating novel of historic fiction entitled "Whippoorwill Hill."Olin is married to the former Judy Grizzle of Dahlonega, Georgia. The couple make their home in Roswell, Georgia. Olin also has a son - Burke - by a former marriage.All works by Whippoorwill Publications are available online at Amazon.com, IngramSpark.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other fine booksellers.
