Ian Manuel Talks Prison and Perseverance, Shares Poetry With Bryan Stevenson. Watch Video.
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Ian Manuel, photo credit Kara Baker
Ian Manuel’s MY TIME WILL COME: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope and Redemption, published by Pantheon, tells the story of the activist and poet, sentenced to life in prison at age 14 for a non-homicide crime. He survived 18 consecutive years in solitary confinement and managed to regain his freedom with the help of the Equal Justice Initiative, led by Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, and the forgiveness of the woman against whom he had committed his crime.
In the foreword to MY TIME WILL COME, Mr. Stevenson wrote, “Ian is magic. His story is difficult and heartbreaking, but he takes us places we need to go to understand why we must do better. He survives by relying on a poetic spirit, an unrelenting desire to succeed, to recover, and to love … Ian’s story affirms that we can turn things around. His journey reminds us that we are, in fact, more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
Earlier this week, Mr. Manuel and Mr. Stevenson had a compelling virtual conversation hosted by the Los Angeles Public Library. To watch a video of their talk, click on the play arrow below.
In MY TIME WILL COME, Mr. Manuel wrote:
