Momentous: The Quest for an Article V Convention

"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments . . ."

--Article V, U.S. Constitution

It's 2029, and the American political landscape is precarious, with partisanship raging and neighborhoods squaring off against each other. Brian Cornwall, a prominent Washington Post political reporter, is fresh from covering the successful groundbreaking campaign of Angelique Dawkins, the Black astronaut elected president. Although he is well short of retirement age, Brian fears being put out to pasture when he is assigned the unremarkable task of covering the obscure Gouverneur Morris Project.

The Project's work of studying Article V's provision for a convention called by the states has been assigned to a diverse group of young lawyers and academics who refer to themselves as "Scouts" as they break the rules by gathering at each other's weddings. As America devolves further into entrenched political animosity, they defy the "go slow" directives of the Project's director.

When a budget stalemate and White House scandal paralyze DC, a lightning-rod moment arrives, and things will never be the same.

In this imaginative romp through this country's stately but fraught political system, Momentous details an innovative approach to constitutional reform. Its subtle yet suspenseful narrative, grounded in thorough research with endnotes, invites readers to explore Article V--its risks and possible rewards--fully.