Good News Monday
Barack Obama's Sudden Fame Renews Interest in Book He Wrote Years Ago

At a campaign stop, Obama noted that a new edition is coming out Aug. 10 - "not a moment too soon. I don't want people spending that much for my book." [ed. they're bidding a first edition up on eBay].

That new edition is already making its way onto the Internet best-seller lists. Pre-release orders had pushed it into the top 50 at Amazon.com, and it was at No. 9 in the biography category at Barnesandnoble.com.

"Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" is Obama's memoir of growing up in Hawaii the son of a black man and white woman. He discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity, a period of rebellion that included drug use, traveling to Africa and becoming a community activist in Chicago.

It was published in 1995 to strong reviews but only modest sales. Obama said 15,000 copies were printed, and he still has several boxes of them in his basement.

I was going to order at Amazon, but since I live in Illinois, and he will be my senator, have decided to walk into an actual store (they still have them, right?) in a Republican town and lay down the dough in person.

In more Illinois notes, tomorrow is supposed to be the big, exciting day the ILL GOP (ie, sick) decide who will "run" against Obama. Will they flip a coin? Tear a few pages from the phone book and throw a dart? I wonder how many out there are thinking, well, if they call, I'll just let the machine pick up?

Hot day here, went to Manchurian Candidate. Creepy movie, and disturbing, especially the timing of its release. Meryl Streep is over the top, Denzel is under the top. Liev Schrieber is outstanding as the candidate. A few jarring, weird moments, like Al Franken who popped up once or twice as a reporter. The scenes of the convention and victory celebration, especially, comic-book in the uber-patriotism depicted, which seemed to get more intense as the movie progressed. And throughout it all, the constant background of 24-hour news going on and on, mostly about some deal or contract or scandal involving Halliburton [ed. slap my hand]. Sorry. "Manchurian." Very strange -- Wyclef Jean music played at our convention too.


- posted by Cynthia @ 10:44 PM | | | Link |