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And if I Die Before I Wake with George M. Johnson

Author Talk

George M. Johnson in conversation with Preston Mitchum

Please join the Library and Politics and Prose Bookstores for a conversation with George M. Johnson and their new memoir And If I Die Before I Wake. In conversation with Preston Mitchum, Johnson will discuss their first adult memoir and testimony of transformation, healing, and hope. 

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

About the Book

They may be the author of the #1 most banned book 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 desperately needs to hear.
George M. Johnson is no stranger to death. In this debut adult memoir, readers are invited to witness untrodden ground as George navigates an HIV diagnosis, alcoholism, tremendous loss, and nationwide book bans over the span of 15 years. Through the highs and lows of life in the spotlight, they have clung to family and community like never 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 Black family through the lens of transformation, healing, and hope. Poetic, grounded, and bursting with signature humor, this is New York Times-bestselling 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.

About the Author

George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. 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 and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.” They also wrote Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known. 

About the Conversation Partner 

Preston D. Mitchum is an award-winning Black queer attorney, advocate, educator, and nationally recognized voice advancing democracy, civil rights, and equity. He serves as Senior Director of Legislative Affairs 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 advocacy organizations on public policy, governance, and equity-centered leadership. Over more than 15 years in law and policy, Preston has held leadership roles at The Trevor Project, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, the Center for American Progress, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Preston has taught at Georgetown University Law Center, American University Washington College of Law, and George Washington University. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Spark Reproductive Justice, is a member of In Our Own Voice's Creators Council, and is President of the North Carolina Central University School of Law Alumni Association.His work has been featured in The Washington Post, NBC News, The Atlantic, The Guardian, BET, and The Wall Street Journal. He has received numerous honors recognizing his leadership and advocacy, including 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 Vineyard.

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