IS WRITING A MEMOIR the new prelude to running for national office? It seems so, doesn’t it? Or is it that running for national office is a great way to bounce up one’s book sales? Hmm. I guess it’s all the way you look at it. I had not given a lot of thought to it until I read a piece about current presidential hopefuls and their publication list, and realized just how much political memoir is currently stacked up on the bookstore shelves.
It was a piece in Bloomberg by David Knowles that got me thinking about my favorite genre and the chicken-and-the-egg of it all. Which platform does writing a book serve if your ambition is a seat at the national political table? I’m not sure, but I am always hopeful that knowing more about a person leads to better choices in the voting booth.
There is no mention here of several of the recent political memoirs I’ve liked, including the bestselling and very good one, Off the Sidelines, by New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, that argues for women to get into politics. Is it a signal of Gillibrand’s national aspirations? We’ll have to wait and see. While we do, Knowles’ piece, headlined The 2016 Presidential Hopefuls Literary Guide is worth the read. And if you are a real fan of the subgenre, here is the Huffington Post’s list of political memoirs. And if that is not enough for you, here is a lovely, snarky Politico assessment on why political memoirs are safe bets for publishers.
As ever, read on.
Diane Cameron says
Thank you for that list of memoirs I need to read…esp Gillibrand.
I do love writing memoir but I am more likely to run from office.
Thank you Marion for all this good stuff you provide us who love to read.
DianeC
marion says
Hi, Diane.
You are most welcome.
Please come back soon.
Sherrey Meyer says
Should my memoir hit bookstores during an election year, fear not! I will not be running for office in any capacity. Political office is not on my bucket list, and I’m enjoying retirement and writing too much to even consider. However, this is a very interesting post and perspective on the publication of memoirs.