BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//sebbo.net//ical-generator//EN NAME:DC Public Library X-WR-CALNAME:DC Public Library BEGIN:VEVENT UID:406445e0-eda0-4e6f-8f94-fb6e9ab2bf1b SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260922T065257Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261107T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261107T150000 SUMMARY:And if I Die Before I Wake with George M. Johnson LOCATION:Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library\nMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Martin Luther King Jr. Mem orial Library - Central Library;X-APPLE-RADIUS=10;X-TITLE=Martin Luther Ki ng Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library:geo:38.8986823,-77.024871 GEO:38.8986823;-77.024871 DESCRIPTION:George M. Johnson in conversation with Preston Mitchum.\nhttps ://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/17451116 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Please join the Library and Politics and P rose Bookstores for a conversation with George M. Johnson and their new me moir And If I Die Before I Wake. In conversation with Preston Mit chum\, Johnson will discuss their first adult memoir and testimony of tran sformation\, healing\, and hope. \;

\n

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing following the event.

\n

 \;

\n

About the Book

\n

They may be the author of the #1 most banned b ook in America\, but George M. Johnson isn't finished telling their story yet. Written with unflinching emotion and unapologetic boldness\, And If I Die Before I Wake is nothing short of a testimony -- one the world desper ately needs to hear.
George M. Johnson is no stranger to death. In th is debut adult memoir\, readers are invited to witness untrodden ground as George navigates an HIV diagnosis\, alcoholism\, tremendous loss\, and na tionwide book bans over the span of 15 years. Through the highs and lows o f life in the spotlight\, they have clung to family and community like nev er before -- finding their most authentic self along the way.
Drawing inspiration from Toni Morrison\, Jesmyn Ward\, and Ta-Nehisi Coates\, And If I Die Before I Wake explores grief\, trauma\, sexuality\, and the Blac k family through the lens of transformation\, healing\, and hope. Poetic\, grounded\, and bursting with signature humor\, this is New York Times-bes tselling author George M. Johnson more bold\, more brave\, and more daring than ever -- ready to share a new part of their journey with the world.\n

 \;

\n

About the Author

\n

George M. Johnson \;(they/the m) is an Emmy nominated\, award-winning\, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. Their debut memoir\, \;All Boys Aren&rsquo\;t Blu e\, was a \;New York Times \;bestseller and garnered many accolade s. It was the #1 most banned book of 2024 in the United States\, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans an d challenges\, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored Ge orge with its Free Speech Defender Award\, and \;TIME \;Magazine n amed them one of the &ldquo\;100 Next Most Influential People in the World .&rdquo\; They also wrote \;Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known. \;

\n

 \;

\n

 \;

\n

 \;\n

 \;

\n

 \;

\n

\n

 \;

\n

About the Conversation Partner \;

\n

P reston D. Mitchum is an award-winning Black queer attorney\, advo cate\, educator\, and nationally recognized voice advancing democracy\, ci vil rights\, and equity. He serves as Senior Director of Legislative Affai rs at Common Cause\, where he leads federal legislative strategy to combat authoritarianism and corruption\, expand political power\, and strengthen American democracy. He also founded PDM Consulting\, advising nonprofit a dvocacy organizations on public policy\, governance\, and equity-centered leadership. Over more than 15 years in law and policy\, Preston has held l eadership roles at The Trevor Project\, URGE: Unite for Reproductive &\ ; Gender Equity\, Advocates for Youth\, the Center for Health and Gender E quity\, the Center for American Progress\, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Preston has taught at Georgetown University Law Center\, Ame rican University Washington College of Law\, and George Washington Univers ity. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Spark Repr oductive Justice\, is a member of In Our Own Voice's Creators Council\, an d is President of the North Carolina Central University School of Law Alum ni Association.His work has been featured in The Washington Post\, NBC New s\, The Atlantic\, The Guardian\, BET\, and The Wall Street Journal. He ha s received numerous honors recognizing his leadership and advocacy\, inclu ding being named one of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40. He also appeared on Bravo's Summer House: Martha's Viney ard.

\n

\nhttps://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/17451116 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/17451116 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/dclibrary/andifidie.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR