Am-I-Not-a-Man

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott, trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, “Ain’t I a man?” Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mark L. Shurtleff attended Brigham Young University, University of Utah College of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law. He began his Legal Career by serving four years in the United States Navy Judge Advocate Corps (JAG), then as a lawyer in Southern California.

Mark then moved back to Utah and worked as a Deputy County Attorney and as Commissioner of Salt Lake County. He later became an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Utah. He was elected Attorney General in November 2000, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2008. He is the first Attorney General in Utah to win re-election for a third term. Mark is married with five children. He is an Eagle Scout and is fluent in Spanish.

$24.95

"There may be no better way to capture the dramatic story of the life of the remarkable slave, Dred Scott, than through a novel in the hands of a gifted and daring writer. More than 150 years after Taylor Blow freed him from bondage, Dred Scott has found that writer in Mark Shurtleff. After five years of deep and extensive research into Dred Scott’s life and times, this distinguished lawyer’s own sense of the hunger of all for justice gives Am I Not a Man gripping authenticity."

~ D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

"Am I Not A Man" is as majestic a work as the Mississippi River is to the landscape of this novel, and as empowering as the spirit of Dred Scott. Mark Shurtleff proves to be a master storyteller, weaving together an extraordinary tapestry of human, naturalistic, and historical events that reveal the providence of Dred Scott's life and its significance in birthing the nation that we live in today. You will not find the breadth and beauty of this story in the history books. It does not exist. Mark was uniquely gifted in delivering this remarkable story to the world. He exposed how the courage of one man, along with the support of other just and courageous men, overcame the scourge of injustice and altered the course of American history. It will renew your faith in the power of the human spirit."

~ Thurbert E. Baker, Attorney General of Georgia

"Attorney General Shurtleff has used his exceptional gift for writing to bring to life the mind, heart, and passion of my great-great-grandparents in a moving and hard-to-put-down novel of great excellence. His ability to portray the dignity of all human beings through the characters is extraordinary. Mark's sincere love for these heroes manifests in the detail he exhibits as he personifies many heart-wrenching and joyful moments they experienced on their road to freedom. This story is a masterful achievement in allowing us to be there beyond the legal aspects and feel with, and for, the Scotts.....and you will!"

~ Lynne M. Jackson, Great-great granddaughter of Dred & Harriet Scott, President and Founder of The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation

"Mark has recounted a spectacular and riveting story of American heroism and human triumphs, unbounded by race, color, or gender. The founders' dream for a single, egalitarian society has meant cultivating it continually with love, courage, sacrifice, perseverance and patriotism. No one has made a bigger contribution to the realization of this dream than Dred Scott. His inspiring story serves as an example of how personal conviction and alliances of the hopeful can ultimately achieve the founders' vision. From precious Dred Scott to Barack Obama, there are still rivers to cross and corners to turn before justice, and thus freedom, is ours."

~ Dennis Courtland Hayes, former Interim President & CEO, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporation Secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Inc.