Choosing the Hard Path: A Personal History and Memoir

Jim Wilson’s fascinating work Choosing the Hard Path: A Personal History and Memoir is the story of one man’s fight on the front lines of American history at a tumultuous time defined by the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.

Wilson labored alongside the great social justice warriors of the times including John Lewis, Dorothy Day, Dan and Phil Berrigan and lesser known heroes who wanted to change the world.

In a vivid text, Wilson shares details of his life, his role in the Civil Rights protests in Selma, Alabama, and what led him to the pivotal moment when he and four other young men burned their draft cards in the heart of New York City as the national press and American public looked on. That refusal to serve in the military cost him his freedom, ultimately saw him sentenced to years in prison. The repercussions of those choices reverberated through the years and shaped Wilson’s views on topics from criminal justice to immigration.

Wilson also reflects on his years in prison, and the effect it had on his life and career—including an attempt at public office, no small feat for someone with a prison record.

This absorbing read offers a rare first-hand look at a turbulent time in the U.S. authored by someone who lived it all.