March: 30 Postcards to Make Change and Good Trouble

March

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (Artist)

These postcards showcase the words and artwork of MARCH, the New York Times bestseller about the life of Congressman John Lewis.

Featuring a special essay by Andrew Aydin on the power of written engagement, this book of postcards invites civic involvement and makes a special gift for activists, comics fans, and collectors alike.

Genres: History

30 pages, Card Book

Published February 27, 2018

About the author

John Robert Lewis was the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district, serving since 1987 and was the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. He was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), playing a key role in the struggle to end segregation. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was one of the most liberal legislators.

Barack Obama honoured Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack (March 7, 1965).

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I’ve read the graphic books series March, I don’t own the volumes, so this book of postcards is a nice keepsake of the story and its art, panels of which are used in the introduction and on the postcards. The introduction is a lovely essay by the co-author of the books, Andrew Aydin, digital director and policy adviser to Rep. John Lewis, on the importance of handwritten letters. The hope is that the postcards will spur handwritten—not electronic—missives to policymakers on all levels to help effect change. I haven’t decided whether I will use the postcards or keep them in their book, but I know who’ll get the first one if I decide on the former action.

For me, this little book is also a keepsake of the Mississippi town of Holly Springs where I found it. The man working at the town’s historical museum said the artist, Nate Powell, lived in Holly Springs for only a short time and as a child; but the museum sells volumes of March, including a box set autographed by Powell.

P.S.:
I traveled off the Natchez Trace to Holly Springs because I was interested in the artist Kate Freeman Clark. The town is proud of her and Ida B. Wells-Barnett who was born in Holly Springs. They’re also proud of their not being burnt by Grant during the Civil War. The woman who gave us the overview of the museum said it was the Confederate general Earl Van Dorn who was the horrible human being.

[❂ Ann ❂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought two of these postcard books. Don't let the size deceive you. I decided to buy a second one after I used up the first one for postcard activism and for contacting my congresswomen. As usual, Congressman Lewis was legendary. Andrew Aydin's essay was profound. He makes a good case about bringing back the lost art of letter writing, especially in the age of impersonal electronic communication. The postcards are snapshots of the best panels in the MARCH trilogy (IMHO). It is both a tool for activism and a timely gift, regardless of what religious denomination you subscribe to and what holidays you celebrate. May it spur you to action and stoke the fire within.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

March may be a quick read but its messages will stay with you for a long time. The graphic novel is a series of hand drawn postcards decorated with inspirational images and quotes. My favorite quote is: "ALL Americans should be indignant when one American is denied the Right to VOTE. The loss of that right to a single citizen undermines the freedom of EVERY citizen. This is why ALL of us should be concerned with the efforts of our fellow Americans to register to vote in Alabama." Attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson (a president who I feel has been vastly under-rated and underappreciated due to his affiliation with the Vietnam War) as he addressed the violence against "The Project for an Alabama Political Freedom Movement" in Selma in 1965. As resonant today, this message, and the others that fill this tiny but powerful tome, are an important reminder of our civic responsibility.