Before his death, Rep. John R. Lewis completed his graphic memoir Run: Book One. Lewis was a Civil Rights activist who was also a United States Representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. Besides his professional accomplishments, John Lewis is also known for his leading the march in Selma, Alabama in 1965. This march became the historical civil rights movement known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Run: Book One was completed during the 2020 COVID pandemic and published on August 3, 2021. During the writing/drafting process, John Lewis and his co-author Andrew Aydin came up with a social distancing plan to continue the writing and editing process. Since Aydin and Lewis were neighbors, Aydin would hide pages in the behind planters on the front stoop. This brought Lewis great joy during is final months. Run: Book One takes place right after “Bloody Sunday” march and the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. To read more about Run: Book One check out this article by the Washington Post: “John Lewis finished this graphic memoir as he died. He wanted to leave a civil rights ’road map’ for generations.“
Graphic Novels are becoming increasingly popular for both children and adults. Some popular novels are taking graphic novel form such as Water Dean Myers’ “Monster”. Graphic novels aren’t just about superheroes and adventure. Graphic novels take many genres such as biography, nonfiction, realistic fiction, and fantasy. A popular graphic novel series Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. These graphic novels tell stories of American history. Graphic novels aren’t just for kids. They can also be enjoyed by adults as well. Here’s a list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels.
