Wayne State President reveals deeply personal experiences in new memoir

In “The Plum Tree Blossoms Even in Winter,” Dr. M. Roy Wilson talks about his childhood of “loneliness and depravation” and overcoming hardship.

a Black man in a suit and tie smiling in front of the American flag and a Wayne State University flag

President M. Roy Wilson

Wayne State University President Dr. M. Roy Wilson is turning inward with a new memoir that is both reflective and at times deeply revealing. “The Plum Tree Blossoms Even in Winter” looks back on Wilson’s troubled childhood starting in Japan. It then journeys through his accomplishments, setbacks, and terrifying medical troubles as an adult.

“The book is about challenges and not giving up and even in the darkest of times that you can persevere.” — Dr. M. Roy Wilson, Wayne State University president

The book will be released on May 4th. Wilson will host a book signing and meet-and-greet that day at the Wayne State University Barnes and Noble at 82 West Warren from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Listen: WSU President M. Roy Wilson discusses his new memoir.

 


“My sister and I basically took care of ourselves for extended periods of time during our childhood, so it was a time when we really had to rely on each other,” Wilson tells Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today.

“The book is about challenges and not giving up and even in the darkest of times that you can persevere.”

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  • Detroit Today
    Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.