Duluth Mayor Don Ness will be publishing a book of essays and photos about the city’s 21st Century coming-of-age. As is typical these days, he’s doing a Kickstarter to pay for it.
Uber-popular Duluth Mayor Don Ness might not be running for re-election, but he is writing a book of essays and photos about Duluth that sounds atypical of most books by politicians.
“Boy Mayor and His City: Snapshot Essays” by Don Ness isn’t done yet. Ness launched a Kickstarter to pay for the production costs of what will be a self-published book. That seems to be an increasingly common way for regional books to be published. Results are generally mixed, but Duluth’s “social media mayor” is uniquely capable of making that model work.
From the Project page:
This is a book of what Don calls “snapshot essays” – it’s designed to be a vibrant book of short essays and pictures describing Don’s entertaining, at times treacherous, and often embarrassing journey from 25 year old city councilor to 40 year old mayor…and the coincidental revitalization of Duluth, MN during the same period of time.
Don’s vision for this book is for it to be a celebration of the people, stories, ideas, and initiatives that have defined the renaissance of Duluth – a beautiful industrial city built upon a hill overlooking the world’s greatest Lake.
Anyone who follows the mayor on Facebook knows he’s got a great sense of humor and remarkable ability to write refreshing prose instead of the typical political tripe.
I don’t generally donate to author Kickstarter projects out of petty jealousy and the insecurities common to midlevel regional authors like myself, but I might actually buy this book when it comes out. Yes, indeed. Looks like a winner (Damn him).
Normal people like you, on the other hand, can do whatever you feel is appropriate.
Will it include an essay about the time I made fun of his wife? If not, I refuse to support the project.
I should thank you for that moment. So thanks. That was a truly funny moment. Occasionally I wonder if she is still hot?