Fight of the Century

October 15, 2019
A well-curated collection of the most influential cases of the American Civil Liberties Union, published to mark the organization's 100th anniversary. Husband-and-wife team Chabon and Waldman (co-editors: Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation, 2017) present a finely edited almanac of lively, contextually grounded stories that read like the greatest hits of freedom. Written by some of today's most popular and celebrated authors, these essays serve as history lessons, cautionary tales, and calls to arms. Considered in terms of contemporary cultural values and changes, the contributors explore a variety of issues with an eye on broad efforts of the ACLU to protect the rights of vulnerable populations. For people of color, immigrants, religious minorities, LGBTQ community members, and others whose rights have been threatened or undermined by patterns of discrimination, the collection informs ongoing movements for justice. However, it's not all praise, as some contributors offer well-reasoned criticisms of ACLU actions. Throughout, the contributors deftly handle the promises and challenges of the courts and their decisions, covering such issues as privacy rights, intellectual freedom, and women's rights. As each legal case--including Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Gideon v. Wainwright, among many others--is spun through the writers' perspectives and distinct approaches, the resulting distillation provides insights that are both riveting and refreshingly diverse. This is not solely a book about controversial decisions so much as one that traces the ACLU's efforts at attending to the importance of the rule of law, the role of the courts, and the significance of legal reform. It's a timely and cohesive love song for freedom, sung by an impressive roster of contributors, including Neil Gaiman, Jesmyn Ward, George Saunders, Marlon James, Salman Rushdie, Meg Wolitzer, Liyun Li, Elizabeth Strout, Jacqueline Woodson, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Aleksandar Hemon, and Lauren Groff. Fiery, focused, bold voices address groundbreaking decisions.

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Starred review from October 28, 2019
Husband and wife Chabon (Moonglow) and Waldman (A Really Good Day) gather dozens of prominent writers to commemorate the ACLU’s centennial with powerful, inspiring essays on the legal organization’s milestone cases. Addressing City of Chicago v. Morales (1999), novelist Jesmyn Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing) explores how the concept of loitering has been used to police black communities. Novelist Michael Cunningham (A Wild Swan) recalls that a 1995 decision upholding the right of Boston’s Irish Council to ban LGBTQ marchers from its St. Patrick’s Day parade led to his arrest in New York City’s procession. Journalist Héctor Tobar (Deep Down Dark) memorably credits Miranda v. Arizona (1966) for turning Fifth Amendment protections into “a civic poem in free verse,” and poet Moriel Rothman-Zecher (Sadness Is a White Bird) skillfully traces the repercussions of a KKK leader’s overturned conviction in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969). Fittingly, the book’s standout essay is also its most contrarian: novelist and lawyer Scott Turow (Testimony) delivers an impassioned takedown of the ACLU’s long-standing position that political spending is protected under the First Amendment. Vigorous, informative, and well-organized, this outstanding collection befits the ACLU’s substantial impact on American law and society.

Starred review from February 1, 2020

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been at the forefront of cases related to civil rights in the United States for more than a century. Marking the organization's centennial, this collection edited by Chabon (The Yiddish Policeman's Union) and Waldman (Love and Treasure) examines not just the history, but also the social context and ongoing impact of the ACLU's landmark rulings. Highlights include Chabon's analysis of the 1933 case United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, describing how the James Joyce novel was labeled obscene and its import forbidden under the Tariff Act of 1930. Author Marlon James explores how racism and homophobia intersect in Lawrence v. Texas, the case that found discriminatory laws regulating homosexual sex unconstitutional. Poet Morgan Parker's response to Bob Jones University v. United States recounts a sermon by the evangelical university's founder supporting segregation, and considers the use of biblical distortion to uphold oppression. VERDICT At a time in which civil rights are under threat worldwide, this collection is a reminder that basic human rights and dignity tend to get crushed under populism. An essential, necessary look at a century of progress, with a eye to the ever-present threat of losing those hard-won rights.--Bart Everts, Rutgers Univ.-Camden Lib., NJ.

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Starred review from November 15, 2019
As they did in Kingdom of Olives and Ash (2017), writers Chabon and Waldman have created a stunning collection of original and topical essays, this time in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union. Formed in 1920, the ACLU pursues a mission of protecting and expanding upon the Bill of Rights through nonprofit, nonpartisan work that goes to the core of the country's most sacred values. Take the 1941 case of Edwards v. California, challenging the "anti-Okie" law which made it illegal to bring an indigent person into California. In Ann Patchett's inspired telling, we feel the humanity behind the legality in her empathic vision of a husband just trying to placate his wife by doing the right thing for her hapless brother. Or Morgan Parker's passionate evisceration of racial discrimination laws in Bob Jones University v. United States. Immigration, unionization, abortion rights, freedom of speech and of the press: America would not be America without landmark rulings protecting these ideals. Geraldine Brooks, Yaa Gyasi, Timothy Egan, Aleksandar Hemon, Salman Rushdie, Marlon James, and an inspired host of other sharp and clarion minds vividly bring consequential court cases to life and recognize the essential work of the ACLU's intrepid, principled lawyers and the sacrosanct rule of law.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)