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The Art of Becoming a Citizen

A Memoir

The Art of Becoming a Citizen cover

The Art of Becoming a Citizen

A Memoir

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Pre-order. Available Jun 09 2026
$31.49 RRP $34.99 Website price saving $3.50 (10%)

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Description

From the three-time National Book Award nominee and New York Times bestselling author Gail Godwin comes an incandescent reflection on past and present that speaks urgently to our current political moment.
“He just had the presidency stolen from him.”
Gail Godwin first heard these words in November 1960, one of a crush of reporters eagerly awaiting the first postelection meeting between Kennedy and Nixon. Hearing an uncanny echo in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Godwin embarks on a project to reflect on that long-ago moment and offset a mounting pressure of dread about the looming election ahead.
In looking back at her life as a young woman-her travels abroad, early marriage, friendships with Kurt Vonnegut and John Irving-juxtaposed with the lead-up to the recent election, she discovers an understory that surprises her. She asks herself, “What, at this late date, did I still want to become?” With urgency and a yearning so many now feel, Godwin's blend of history and memoir is both inspirational and rousing, encouraging readers to engage in their own reflection on the art and meaning of being a citizen.

Product details

Published Jun 09 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Pages 224
ISBN 9781639738748
Imprint Bloomsbury Publishing
Dimensions 210 x 140 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Gail Godwin

Gail Godwin is a three-time National Book Award fi…

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