Please post my book: I Am Me: My Personal Journey with My Forty Plus Autistic Son, Marlene Ringler, Ph.D.

Hello,
I wanted to reach out to let you know about a book of your area of interest that came out this year. It is a true story, and although it might be categorized in bookstores as "true crime" it really is more of a memoir. I wrote this book about my representation of a greatly misunderstood man in the late 1990s, when no one was talking about autism in adults. My client, Alvin Ridley, a TV repairman in this small North Georgia town, was not diagnosed until over two decades after his murder trial. Everyone had him wrong, including myself at first.

My book, "Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom" (Citadel, Hardcover, 2024), is reviewed and blurbed by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jon Meacham, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy, and the producers of Forensic Files. Please look at the great Amazon and Goodreads ratings and reviews for yourself.

I mention Alvin's diagnosis at the very end of the book, along with my call to action for better training for police, lawyers and judges. As you know, there are an estimated five million undiagnosed neurodivergent souls out there who could all have these kinds of misunderstandings and misjudgments happen to them.

I'm reaching out to your organization because you feature books about autism in adults. I would be honored if after reading my book you would consider featuring it. From the week of release, my proudest moments are when a teacher or parent who has interacted with neurodivergent students or family tells me: "I knew from page one!" Of course, as Alvin's diagnosis came so late in his life, I had to write it from my perspective of ignorance. But the diagnosis explained so much about the struggle between attorney and client.

Thank you again for considering. In short, Alvin was not guilty of anything but being an undiagnosed autistic man. And his late wife Virginia spoke from the grave to defend him. Looking through the transcript as I wrote this book, Alvin's autism traits and mannerisms were on trial. He suffered for his whole life with misjudgment. Thankfully, he lived and thrived after his diagnosis - and the community warmed up to him. After the book came out, he was even celebrated as a beloved member of the community. He died on July 2nd, a very happy man.

Sincerely,

McCracken Poston Jr