Jonathan Eig will take the stage with guest host Rochelle Riley to talk about his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, King: A Life, the first major biography written in decades about civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Vividly written and deeply researched, this revealing portrait by a master storyteller is an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled human being who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself.

He casts fresh light on his family’s origins as well as his complex relationships with his wife, father, and fellow activists. In this landmark biography and relying on recently unclassified FBI documents, Eig gives us an MLK whose demands for racial and economic justice remain as urgent today as they were in his lifetime.

GUEST HOST: Rochelle Riley is director of Arts and Culture for the City of Detroit. She formerly worked as an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist for 20 years and has been inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame, and the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Livestreaming Underwriter: Nancy Davy

Virtual Ticket plus book (ticket fees not included): $39 Shipped; $31 book-pickup at Horizon Books in Traverse City

Even if you can’t make it to the City Opera House, you can still enjoy National Writers Series events from the comfort of your own home on event night or later on-demand when it’s more convenient.

Each Virtual Ticket includes a private YouTube link to the event, which begins at 6:50 PM. Virtual audience members can contribute questions to the Q&A through a moderated chat.

Shipping is available anywhere in the continental U.S. by our local bookstore partner Horizon Books of downtown Traverse City, Michigan. Actual costs applied at checkout. Signed copies are only available at the live-event.

Book Release Date: January 7, 2025 – Traverse City locals who’d like to read the book in advance of the event may have the option to pick up their copy at Horizon Books. Instructions will be emailed to you after your purchase.

Additional transaction fees are applied at checkout.