A. Cleveland Harrison, professor emeritus at Auburn University and 1947 graduate of Little Rock Junior College, will discuss his book, “A Little Rock Boyhood: Growing Up in the Great Depression,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 13, at the Darragh Center in the main Central Arkansas Library at 100 S. Rock St. Little Rock Junior College was the former name for UALR.

A reception and book signing will follow the event, hosted by the Butler Center.

History books provide the statistics and the “big picture” of the Great Depression, but Harrison provides the family viewpoint, capturing what Little Rock was like for him as a child in the 1930s.

The Harrison family’s experiences and those of their extended family and neighbors bring the tough economic times down to the individual level. The youngest Harrison is an able reporter, relating the memories of an observant though naive child.

Despite the grim hard times, Harrison reports happy times for a kid. He remembers his life in the residential neighborhoods of downtown Little Rock when a child could grow up in difficult times without becoming difficult.

The book offers an insightful look back at a time, a place, and a childhood.

Harrison worked in educational theater for 45 years. In 1991, he retired as emeritus professor after 21 years as the senior professor in the Department of Theatre at Auburn University.