Multnomah County Library has selected “Lovely One: A Memoir” by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 2026 Everybody Reads book. The initiative marks the 24th year of Everybody Reads, the library’s communitywide reading project that uses literature to spark dialogue and bring Portlanders together for discussion.
As part of the program, the library will distribute 8,000 free copies of “Lovely One” beginning in January through its branches and in local high schools. Jackson will also visit Portland on March 12 for an author talk hosted by Literary Arts, which will begin ticket sales in September.
The memoir, released earlier this year, traces Jackson’s family history through segregation and her rise as the first Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court. In it, she reflects on themes of identity, ambition and resilience, highlighting the importance of mentorship and persistence through personal and professional challenges.
“ ‘Lovely One’ offers us a powerful story of identity and resilience, and a shared foundation for listening and reflection,” said Director of Libraries Annie Lewis in a press release. “Justice Jackson’s moving account of her accomplished life and her family’s legacy provides a rich backdrop for conversations about justice and injustice; what we gain from and give to one another; and persistence in pursuit of a dream.”
Jackson’s appearance next spring will follow in the footsteps of another Supreme Court justice: Sonia Sotomayor, who was hosted by Multnomah County Library in 2019 while promoting her children’s book “Just Ask!”
That visit later drew scrutiny after an Associated Press investigation revealed her staff had pressed the library and other public institutions nationwide to purchase hundreds of her books in advance of such events.
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna.
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