NEW YORK, May 17 —In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union in 2020, Simon & Schuster will publish an as yet untitled anthology to be edited by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, it was announced today. Comprised of an all-star list of authors, the original essays and stories in the collection will explore the most significant court cases in the organization’s history.

Among the anthology’s contributors are Louise Erdrich writing about Standing Rock, Lauren Groff on Roe v. Wade, Marlon James on Lawrence v. Texas, Viet Thanh Nguyen on Stromberg v. California, Ann Patchett on Edwards v. California, Salman Rushdie on United States v. New York Times, Jesmyn Ward on Chicago v. Morales, Colson Whitehead on Capitol Square Review Board v. Pinette, Meg Wolitzer on Griswold v. Connecticut, and Hanya Yanagihara on Korematsu v. United States.

“At a time when our civil liberties are daily threatened by forces of reaction and authoritarianism, we welcome the opportunity to celebrate the centennial, and salute the ongoing struggle, of the American Civil Liberties Union,” said Chabon and Waldman in a joint statement. “We’re honored to have the chance to edit this collection in support of the ACLU. For us it will be both a labor of love and, in this age of unreason, a matter of considerable urgency.”

“We are so grateful to Ayelet Waldman, Michael Chabon, and Simon & Schuster for taking on this project,” said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU. “As we prepare to celebrate our centennial at a time of severe liberties challenges, it’s a true honor to have this all-star cast in our corner.”

“We’re excited to see how some of the most talented authors in America describe some of the most crucial moments in American history,” said Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group. “The cases recounted in this book will allow authors to chronicle true fights for freedom of expression in their own highly original and expressive ways, and that ought to be a boon for all readers, especially those who support the ACLU.”

World rights to the collection were acquired by Jofie Ferrari-Adler, executive editor at Simon & Schuster, from Daniel Kirschen at ICM Partners. The editors and literary agency are donating their advance and any subsequent proceeds connected to the book to the ACLU, and the contributors are forgoing payment.

Michael Chabon is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of fourteen books, among them The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Moonglow, and the essay collection Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces. Ayelet Waldman is the author of twelve books, among them Love and Treasure, Bad Mother, and, most recently, A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in my Mood, My Marriage, and My Life. Michael and Ayelet live in Berkeley, California, with their children.

 

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