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RISE TO THE CHALLENGE event at Words to Live By Bookstore with Marlene Johnson
October 2 @ 1:00 pm
Marlene Johnson will join Words to Live By Bookstore for a reading and discussion of her new book, Rise to the Challenge: A Memoir of Politics, Leadership, and Love, on Wednesday, October 2, at 1:00 p.m.
This event is free and open to the public.
Marking a milestone for women in state government, Marlene M. Johnson became Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor under Rudy Perpich’s gubernatorial administration in January 1983. Rise to the Challenge weaves together the story of her professional life with her personal one in a courageous portrait of dedication, leadership, and unwavering faith in the public good.
“Marlene M. Johnson wasn’t just the first woman to be Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor. She was also the first Lieutenant Governor to have a specific policy portfolio. She had access and influence in ways that laid the groundwork for me and others to follow. Marlene is of a class of women who made important strides in DFL politics, and I’m grateful for her place in Minnesota’s history and for this book that tells that story.” —Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
“An essential document of the midcentury rise of women into American politics. In this memoir of a remarkable public life, Marlene M. Johnson braids a love story tragically turned into caregiving and the domestic devotion of guardian and advocate. She proves that faithfulness in love and commitment to the betterment of the world are not opposites after all.” —Elisabeth Griffith, PhD, author of Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality, 1920–2020
“Marlene M. Johnson’s story is one of fortitude, service, and great achievement, all told with humility in this highly readable volume. This is a compelling personal account of a woman who climbed the precarious political ladder in her home state and became an international leader in the field of higher education. Her leadership created a strong network of individuals and institutions that reinforced the values of democratic institutions and academic freedom based on critical thinking and objectivity. This fascinating success story is an important read for aspiring public servants, male or female.” —J. Brian Atwood, former administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; former dean, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
