Some Were Paupers, Some Were Kings

Prize-winning journalist Mark McCormick’s best columns are collected here. He writes of people with Kansas connections who altered their world, those known and those not household names: Gordon Parks, Dwight Eisenhower, Diane Nash, Don Hollowell, James Reeb, Barry Sanders, Sam Adams, Ron Walters, Arthur Fletcher, Bessie Halbrook, etc. His stories are memorable because they bring into focus people, events and relationships from the broad canvas of America and enlarge readers’ understanding of what is regularly overlooked or undervalued. You won’t forget his account of his time with Muhammed Ali. McCormick makes visible people of color and the role race plays in their lives and of national issues like police-community relations, 9/11’s aftermath, Muslim Americans, LGBTQ Americans, and gangs. McCormick writes beautifully, with wisdom and love. This is a special edition designed for first-year students at Wichita State University and their teachers. A discussion guide provides specific ways for readers to interact with these essays.