The One Time I Gave A Journalist A Real Read — A Piece of My Mind
I fell in love with books at an early age. Consuming and crafting words has been more than a pastime for me — it is a central part of my identity. Naturally, many of my oldest and deepest relationships are with people who hold a shared sense of wonder and appreciation for books. One of those relationships is with Randall Woodfin who happens to serve as the Mayor of the City of Birmingham. I have always known Randall by the books he bears. The first time I visited his home over a decade ago I was struck by the books lining the floor underneath a massive bay of windows facing a busy street below. Every time I visited — about once a year — the stack got bigger and bigger. First, the books were lined up vertically from wall to wall. Then, he added another row in front of the first one. Eventually, he flipped the rows from vertical orientation to horizontal so that he could stake four or five books together across the entirety of the wall. Anyone who even thinks they know Randall Woodfin well knows this much about him — the man eats books. In his 20s and 30s, Randall served on the board of S.T.A.I.R., a city-wide, community-led literacy initiative. He…
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