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About Selma’s Mayor
Explore the life of a man who honed his leadership skills during the heart of the civil rights movement . . . and the author whose life he transformed.
When writer Jenney Egertson met George Evans–the mayor of Selma, Alabama, from 2008 - 2016–she was presented with a challenge: How could she effectively capture the life and impact of such a highly influential leader?
When George Evans died in early 2023, the author was presented with a new challenge: How could she tell the mayor’s story and continue his legacy after he was gone?
Selma’s Mayor is a deeply personal story, blurring the lines between biography and memoir. Utilizing primary and secondary sources, this nonfiction political narrative paints a picture of a beloved mayor who rose above the actions of detractors and whose leadership was always rooted in love for his hometown and its residents.
The life of Mayor George Evans is a rich testament to the power of integrity and determination in local government—embodying the essential intersection between American politics and social justice. And his legacy is a reminder of what true leadership can do.
How will George Evans’ story transform yours?
Title Details
Pages: 144
Format: Hardcover
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Published: September 2024
ISBN: 978-1-63489-802-7
Category: Nonfiction / Memoir / Biography
Publisher: Wise Ink Media
Distribution Partner: Itasca Books
Praise for Selma’s Mayor
“Mayor George Evans’ example of leadership is highly relevant today, as we witness the dysfunction, polarization, and tribalistic hyper-partisan leadership across our country.
In every role he held, George Evans brought people together across racial, cultural, and political barriers, which is why I believe the story of Selma’s beloved mayor will be truly inspirational for those who want to lead at home. The story of a local boy done good who truly led from his heart. A story that reminds us of what true leadership can accomplish.”
—Congresswoman Terri Sewell, U.S. representative for Alabama’s 7th congressional district
About Before I Leave
In July of 2000, Jenney Egertson met 80-year-old Maude Kelly. The following day, Jenney had an idea that felt more like a command: give Maude a voice. It was the first step toward a book that would share the stories of a group of women over 80 . . . a journey that would span decades in more ways than one.
As Jenney interviewed and wrote about her subjects in the years that followed, she learned about aging, parenting, facing adversity, navigating systemic racism and sexism, and accepting community. Her interviewees became her mentors and friends. In the end, these powerful relationships gave Jenney the courage she needed to reclaim a precious gift: her voice as both a woman and a writer.
Before I Leave follows Jenney’s journey from the moment her long-buried dream to be a writer re-emerged, through the fear she felt as she moved through middle age, to the sense of calm and acceptance she came to in her sixties. This is a book to be shared across generations as women everywhere continue to reclaim their lives, destinies, and voices.
Title Details
Pages : 164
Format: Paperback
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Published: February 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63489-167-7
Category: Nonfiction / Essays / Aging
Publisher: Wise Ink Media
Distribution Partner: Itasca Books
Praise for Before I Leave
“The women in Before I Leave teach lessons in living, dying, loving, and overcoming. It takes curiosity, a keen mind, and big-hearted compassion to engagingly present their stories — and Egertson is an author with all of those qualities, and more.”
—Jack El-Hai, author of The Nazi and the Psychiatrist and The Lobotomist
“A moving meditation on the relationship between youth and age, on the manner in which memory enriches experience, and on the desire for permanence side by side with the recognition of change.”
—Mark Looker, professor of English, author of Atlantic Passages
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