Thursday, August 3, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism MFA Narrative Nonfiction Program, in partnership with The Bitter Southerner, Avid Bookshop, and ATHICA, is excited to bring best-selling author Paul Kix to Athens for a free public reading and book signing on Thursday, August 3, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Kix will read from his most recent book, You Have to be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America.

The book is the complete, never-before told story of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s pivotal 10-week 1963 campaign to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, that shaped the course of the Civil Rights Movement and the future of America. Kix provides a window into the minds of the four extraordinary men who led the campaign—Martin Luther King, Jr., Wyatt Walker, Fred Shuttlesworth, and James Bevel.

Released in May, the book has received choice reviews from critics, including The New York Times, which wrote, “This is history as motion picture: short chapters like rapid scene changes, historical actors as a vivid ensemble cast and suspenseful plot over explication. His conceit works magnificently; the story is a gripping reminder that organizing is difficult work, that it requires faith and discipline, and that the best-laid plans can lead simultaneously to the worst and most successful outcomes.” Kirkus Reviews calls Kix’ book “An eloquent contribution to the literature of civil rights and the ceaseless struggle to attain them.” Publishers Weekly says the book is “A gripping novelistic account … Readers will be riveted from the first page to the last.”

Kix is a nonfiction author and journalist known for “The Saboteur,” a true account of the world’s most daring World War II commando, optioned for a DreamWorks movie, and “The Accidental Getaway Driver,” a GQ story that was turned into a major motion picture.

More about Paul Kix: https://www.paulkix.com

More About The UGA MFA in Narrative Nonfiction:
The UGA MFA in Narrative Nonfiction is a low-residency program at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, home of the Peabody Awards and one of the top journalism schools in the country. The program is designed to help writers hone their skills and generate work that will be published and produced. At once rigorous and supportive, the program exposes students to a roster of diverse and accomplished authors, screenwriters, literary agents and other industry professionals who work with our students in an inclusive and inspiring learning environment that nurtures each writer’s emerging craft and voice. Students are offered an unparalleled opportunity to develop narrative journalism and screenwriting skills that will equip them for long and varied careers.

Contact UGA MFA in Narrative Nonfiction Director Moni Basu for more information. monibasu@uga.edu