Lisa M. Russell is a writer, writing instructor, and academic assistant dean. She writes micro-history books about “lost things.” She supports regional historical societies. She guested on several local television/radio programs and podcasts. Russell earned her Masters of Arts degree in professional writing from Kennesaw State University. The MAPW awarded Lisa the 2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Lisa teaches English full-time at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, where she serves as the Assistant Dean of English. She is a part-time professor of communication at Kennesaw State University. In her “spare-time” you can find Lisa exploring North Georgia with her micro-historic lens to discover her next “lost” story.
Subscribe to my newsletter on Substack, “Elegies of Lost Things.”
Why I Teach:
Books
Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia
Lost Mill Towns of North Georgia
COMING in 2023!
Lost Fulton Mills
Covered Bridges of Georgia
Media Appearances:
Tedx: “Fill the Room”
Tedx Cartersville: “Fill the Room”
History: “UneXplained with William Shatner”
CNN Interview
Interview on 11 Alive
Power Play 100 Years: Lake Burton & Georgia’s Hydroelectric (GPB Documentary)
Podcasts:
The Bitter Southerner: “Lake Nottely”
History Press with Jonny Foster “Lost and Drowned Towns”
Dead Girls Talking ‘ “Buckle Up for Underwater Ghost Towns”
Speaking to Your Group
I would love to come to speak to your group. As you can see from my events page, I am on the go across North Georgia. Please help me keep traveling Georgia speaking about North Georgia history. Consider offering an expense fee to cover my transportation when I come to your event.
If your event is outside of Metro Atlanta, consider applying for a Literary Events Grant of Georgia that will pay writers a fee to come to your event, at no cost to you. I am on the Georgia Writers Registry (GWR)
Let’s keep regional history alive.
My very best to you,
Lisa M. Russell
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There are websites I’ve been visiting for years where I gain access to little kernels of Georgia history. I’ve recently come across Lost Towns of North Georgia and I loved it. I’m order all of our books on Amazon and cannot wait to engage with your research and writing even more than I have.
Thank you Matthew. I hope to add more and more to this site. I am glad you signed up for my newsletter so we can stay in touch. I am in fact writing a book proposal tonight for a new title in Georgia History. Thanks again.
Your books are on order from Amazon as I type. I grew-up in LaFayette and then “lower Lookout” above Mountain Cove Farms (Daugherty Gap north of Cloudland). To get his only son out of the “trouble he could get into in LaFayette”, my Dad moved us to the Mountain in early ’60s. After that move, i explored the mountain and valley area stumbling onto moonshiners, strange carvings on the rocks, trails to old cabin/home sites, exploring “rock town”, and generally roaming the backroads. I accumulated several of the larger Blue Horse notebooks full of notes and stories I was told; only a few I have put onto paper. My memory is still pretty good so glad to share some of the more interesting these stores, most you probably already know.
Your work is so important, your writing style so good, and research so thorough, that you are making a valuable contribution to our area. Congratulations and THANKS!
Wow Chuck,
You made my day. I woke up this morning wondering what my purpose was all over again. Thank you for sharing. Please share anything you would like me to write about. I am slack in sending out a newsletter and that is my plan for this summer, to write more in a newsletter… stories you have to share.
If you have anything digital, send it to me or if you can mail me any copies, I will get busy sharing stories that MUST be told. I cannot wait to read from your BLUE HORSE notebooks. I am sure there is so much I do not know … I appreciate anyone who loves and preserves history. Contact me at russellink@gmail.com.
Thank you again for making my day, week, month….I needed that push.
Lisa M. Russell
Great article in the TFP! Congratulations. I’ve been in a lot of these old mills, and worked on redevelopment of a few. We’re currently renovating the original company store for the Peerless Mill in Rossville and I look forward to reading your book. Best, Jay
Please let me know more about the renovation. I would love to write about it. Once a book is done, it is done, but I keep adding stories here!!! I am sending you the book in the mail tomorrow..Keep our history alive.
Hi Lisa,
I’m Chairman of the Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society. Sugar Hill recently opened a small history museum. Our next special exhibit will focus on Buford Dam and Lake Lanier and will include myths and legends. I heard you speak at the Gwinnett Historical Society in 2019 and the Sugar Hill Society would love to have you come speak to the community while we have this special exhibit. We would like for you to speak sometime in early August 2021 if possible but we will work with your schedule. We also hope that you would want to have a book signing at this time. Please contact me as soon as you have a chance. We are in the process of planning events that will complement the exhibit. Best regards, Kathryn Baskin
Kathryn, How exciting about the Sugar Historic Preservation Society.
I can come most evenings or on the weekends. I do keep my granddaughter on Thursdays. Here is my email address: russellink@gmail.com. Please contact me so we can set up a date. I am excited to come.
I’ve replied to your email. Give me a call when you have a chance. looking forward to talking with you!
Just got your book “lost mill towns of north georgia “ – are you aware of Habersham mills ( located just south of Clarkesville ) …..on the soque river ??
I am the owner and we are on a mission to save the spirit of the mill .
Greetings Lisa!
Your Underwater Ghost Towns book was instrumental in our most recent podcast episode coming out on Sept 30, 2021. It has to do with hauntings in Savannah GA & Lake Lanier. If you want to listen, check us out! Our podcast is called ADD Storytelling. 🙂
https://anchor.fm/addstoryteller
Thanks for everything!
Maddie & Tucker
Thanks Maddie and Tucker,
I will be listening!!
I appreciate it.
I grew up in the American Thread Mill in Dalton. My husband in the Crown Cotton Mill. I loved your ‘mill’ book and can’t wait to see and hear you in Rome in December!
Bee
I can’t wait to meet you and talk about the mills. Bring any pictures!!