Congressman John Lewis Recruits Another Generation to MARCH With
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Leigh Walton Top Shelf Productions PO Box 5885 · Astoria · NY · 11105-5885 (919) 610-2481 [email protected] www.topshelfcomix.com Congressman John Lewis Recruits Another Generation to MARCH with Award-Winning Graphic Novel Series “Congressman John Lewis has been a resounding moral voice in the quest for equality for more than 50 years, and I’m so pleased that he is sharing his memories of the Civil Rights Movement with America’s young leaders. In March, he brings a whole new generation with him across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, from a past of clenched fists into a future of outstretched hands.” — PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON “With March, Congressman John Lewis takes us behind the scenes of some of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. In graphic novel form, his first-hand account makes these historic events both accessible and relevant to an entire new generation of Americans.” — LEVAR BURTON “Essential reading... March is a moving and important achievement.” — USA Today “Riveting.” — O, The Oprah Magazine “Beautiful… [March] should be stocked in every school and shelved at every library.” — The Washington Post “An astonishingly accomplished graphic memoir.” — NPR JOHN LEWIS has been many things in his career: a civil rights activist, a featured speaker at the March on Washington, a leader of the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, a respected member of Congress, a recipient of the Medal of Freedom, and a worldwide symbol of the power of nonviolent protest. With his latest project, he’s added “#1 bestselling author,” as his multi-part graphic novel autobiography, March, has become a smash success. Now, the long-awaited March: Book Two reaches store shelves, poised to be even bigger than its predecessor — and perhaps even more relevant to this day and age. With March: Book Two, Congressman Lewis, co-writer Andrew Aydin, and artist Nate Powell give us a first-hand experience of milestone events that transformed the nation, including the 1961 Freedom Rides and the 1963 March on Washington. At a time when, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the majority of states earn a D or F grade in teaching the Civil Rights Movement to their young people, March has quickly become a key resource for schools, libraries, activists, and the general reader. It’s been adopted in classrooms nationwide, spent 60 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, and even become the first graphic novel to win a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. What’s more, colleges and universities from coast to coast have embraced March with common reading programs, compelling tens of thousands of students to read, study, and discuss Lewis’s story together. Why a graphic novel? Because John Lewis remembers the impact that the 1957 comic book “Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story” had on him and his whole generation, inspiring them to take up nonviolence and join the Civil Rights Movement. Now he’s having the same impact on young people today. As America continues to grapple with issues of race and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, March offers an unforgettable success story and a vital way forward — one that’s already been embraced by countless readers. Congressman John Lewis is an international icon, and his story is now more essential than ever. See why this project has become such a phenomenon — join the March! TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS, based in Marietta, Georgia, has published critically acclaimed and popularly beloved graphic novels since 1997. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf continues to showcase the vanguard of the comics medium, publishing works of literary sophistication, visionary artistry, and personal resonance. MARCH is a genuine phenomenon. #1 New York Times and Washington Post Bestseller A Coretta Scott King Honor Book Featured in YALSA’s “Outstanding Books for the College Bound” 62 combined weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list First graphic novel ever: Selected for campus reading programs nationwide: • written by a member of Congress • Michigan State University • endorsed by a U.S. president • Georgia State University • to win a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award • Marquette University Unprecedented media promotion: • University of Utah • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart • Washburn University • The Colbert Report • Louisiana State University • The Rachel Maddow Show • Indiana University • Bill Moyers • Henderson State University • Charlie Rose • University of Illinois — Springfield • State of the Union • University of Maryland — Eastern Shore • The Lead • Ohio State University • MTV News • San Francisco State University • CBS Evening News • Harper College • NBC Nightly News • Molloy College • The Diane Rehm Show • Nassau Community College • On Point Taught in middle and high schools in over 40 states! • Here and Now March is a unique project that engages readers with unforgettable imagery and first-person narration, help- ing to contextualize the history of the civil rights movement and allowing readers to empathize in a deeply personal way with John Lewis and his fellow activists. “Brave acts of civil disobedience... [give] March its educational value even as Powell’s drawings give Lewis’s crisp narration an emotional power.” — The New York Times “Superbly told history.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Dazzling... a grand work.” — Booklist (starred review) “A powerful tale of courage and principle.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lewis’s remarkable life has been skillfully translated into graphics... This version of Lewis’s life story belongs in libraries to teach readers about the heroes of America.” — Library Journal (starred review) “March offers a poignant portrait of an iconic figure that both entertains and edifies, and deserves to be placed alongside other historical graphic memoirs like Persepolis and Maus.” — Entertainment Weekly “The civil rights movement can seem to some like a distant memory...John Lewis refreshes our memories in dra- matic fashion.” — The Chicago Tribune “When a graphic novel tries to interest young readers in an important topic, it often feels forced. Not so with the exhilarating March: Book One...Powerful words and pictures.” — The Boston Globe “March provides a potent reminder that the sit-ins, far from being casually assembled, were well-coordinated, disciplined events informed by a rigorous philosophy... likely to prove inspirational to readers for years to come.” — Barnes and Noble Review “Powell’s drawings in March combine the epic sweep of history with the intimate personal details of memoir, and bring Lewis’s story to life in a way that feels entirely unfamiliar. March is shaping up to be a major work of history and graphic literature.” — Slate “In a new graphic memoir, the civil rights leader shows youth how to get in trouble— good trouble.” — In These Times DID YOU KNOW? The March project was inspired by John Lewis’s memories of Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story, a 1950s comic book (edited by Dr. King himself) that helped prepare his generation to study nonviolence and join the struggle for civil rights. Now, March brings the lessons of history to vivid life for a new audience, powerfully and urgently relevant for today’s world..