Gary May

I was born in Los Angeles and reared in a family of composers and writers. My grandfather, M.K. Jerome, was a Warner Brothers' songwriter whose credits included Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and many more classic films. His songs "Some Sunday Morning" (from "San Antonio") and "Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart" (from "Hollywood Canteen") were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Song. My uncle, Stuart Jerome, was a veteran television writer from the 1950s until his death in 1983. He wrote for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "M Squad" and "The Fugitive." This background had a profound effect on how I write history. I'm a storyteller who approaches great historical events cinematically, reconstructing through a dramatic narrative the lives of Americans forever changed by historical events.

There is no more dramatic and important story in recent American history than the modern Civil Rights Movement,which is the subject of my forthcoming book: Bending Toward Justice:The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy(Basic Books, April 9, 2013. It recounts, in a compelling narrative, the long and bloody struggle of African Americans fighting to win the right to vote. For more about the book please go to http://bendingtowardjusticebook.com .I would also love to hear from my readers. I can be reached at garymay@udel.edu