Sunday, March 3, 2019

TIGERLAND By WIL HAYGOOD

1968-1969: A CITY DIVIDED, A NATION TORN APART, 
AND A MAGICAL SEASON OF HEALING

Wil Haygood is a tenacious reporter.

Wil Haygood is a gifted writer.

Wil Haygood is passionate about the craft of storytelling.

I wrote this to Wil, my friend of more than two decades, on Jan. 21 – Martin Luther King Day.

I think it is worth sharing with the world.

Wil:

I find it especially poignant, on a day the nation pauses to reflect on the life of Dr. King -- and all the complexities of his life, his work, his achievements, his ultimate sacrifice -- that I am struggling to find words beautiful enough to praise Tigerland.

I fear I am not capable of conjuring such majestic and worthy words. So I will simply say that you have enriched millions of lives by sharing the stories of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Sammy Davis Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson, "The Butler," the Haygoods of Columbus and dozens of others (in wonderful asides within these books).

Personally, beyond your storytelling with the soul of a poet, I love your reportage because it tells all sides of a story. In these times of alternate facts, fake news and unthinkable division -- you share the unvarnished truth about great people...both their groundbreaking triumphs and their human frailty/failings.


Kudos to the Washington Post, an enduring crusader against all the bullying and butchery in the White House and cradle of our nation's power, for singing your praises in the recently-published review.

The Washington Post review of Tigerland:

The Random House site for Tigerland:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550373/tigerland-by-wil-haygood/9781524731861/


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