Obama's Story, Written By Obama

Barack Obama was a first-time author and rookie politician embarking upon his first run for public office. Hermene Hartman was the publisher of N'Digo, a magazine in Chicago aimed at upscale black readers. As Ms. Hartman tells it, she got a call from Mr. Obama in the fall of 1995 saying he wanted to come and talk. He wanted her to read his newly published memoir.

Ms. Hartman read the book, "Dreams From My Father," but chose not to review it. Mr. Obama's life story struck her as too exotic for her readers -- the Kenyan father, the white mother, the childhood in Honolulu and Jakarta, Indonesia. But she felt she had gotten to know him from his writing; when he ran for the United States Senate eight years later, N'Digo became the first magazine to put Mr. Obama on its cover.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[NoNukes]

dadele, lawchic--

Please notice how everything I have written today, as well as everything you have written in response to me, has been censored.

It's hard to know what to say.

[atienne]

I am currently reading Audacity of Hope. Now, the literary tricks and cunningness that is described-that is the power of a writer. If some of you think that is bad as an author, obviously, you never studied writing at all. We all have stories and some can tell them with humor, phrases, expressions that capture a reader's attention and helps the reader feel 'involved' and like they know the author and characters while others can't write that way at all. That's what makes some books a great read while others fizzle. Audacity of Hope is about his career in politics, his thoughts and ideas. It could have easily been a snore fest but the way he tells the story, his expressions...it's making this book the most engaging book I've ever read about ANY politician thus far! Why not read the books for yourselves? A.O.H. will enlighten you in his ideas, his ways of thinking and how he views America and the world!

[NoNukes]

"The book is so literary...It is so full of clever tricks " inventions for literary effect " that I was taken aback, even astonished."--Arnold Rampersad, professor
"He was ambitious as a writer...very cunning in the way he structured the book. I remember thinking, "This guy really knows how to tell a story." " --Deborah Baker, editor
"He has risen in politics less on his track record than on his telling of his life story..."--Janny Scott, NYT
In other words, behind the softened tones of the NYT, here's the story: Obama created a "literary" (i.e. largely invented) version of his own life and turned that, rather than his track record, into a political career. That's unsettling enough, giving just how self-serving all of those literary "tricks" and "cunning" structural innovations turn out to be. But what the times doesn't describe is Obama's highly inaccurate and cruelly patronizing depiction of his mother in Dreams from My Father-- the flip side of the coin of his idealization of the father who abandoned both of them.
Food for thought, anyway.

[memcs]

Oh, for crying out loud. LITERARY does not mean "largely invented." Its meaning is not even close to your definintion. It means:
Main Entry: lit·er·ary
Pronunciation: ˈli-tÉ"-ËŒrer-Ä"
Function: adjective
Date: 1605
1 a: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of humane learning or literature b: bookish 2 c: of or relating to books
2 a: well-read b: of or relating to authors or scholars or to their professions
" lit·er·ar·i·ly ËŒli-tÉ"-ˈrer-É"-lÄ" adverb
" lit·er·ar·i·ness ˈli-tÉ"-ËŒrer-Ä"-nÉ"s noun
That's all literary means.
The people you quote are saying Obama is as a brilliant writer. They are not saying that Obama is using "literary tricks" to fool people or to make up stories. He uses them the way all great writers do, to tell a story in an interesting way. They are saying his use of "literary tricks" is brilliant.
BTW, Obama does not describe his mother inaccurately or cruelly patronizingly.

[dadele]

It is very common for children who have been left behind by a parent to idealize the one who left and attach all that was difficult to the parent they grew up with. He has also said that he has matured in his thinking about his mother and father in the years since it was written.

[lawchic]

I was reading the comments and this one jumped out at me. If you don't like Barack's book, that is certainly your business, but you speak with such certainty about the events and people that shaped his life you would think that you actually grew up with him and shared his experiences. If you did, I stand corrected. But if you didn't, aren't you judging someone else's life story through a prism of your own bias? I mean, you do realize that his own mother read the drafts of his book and supposedly offered suggestions/critiques in places where she thought Barack was being too hard/critical on his father. If he wasn't accurately portraying her, or at least his opinion of her at the time, why wouldn't she correct that as well? Or maybe she understood, that as an individual, you tend to experience things differently from everyone else.
Food for thought, anyway.

[ann1]

His book was too exotic? Does that mean not black enough.

[estevancarlos]

Yeah. I get that too. Sucks.

Sigh

[Testtubebaby]

Of course.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

This is a far cry from nearly all politicians who get ghostwriters to pen their books - Senators McCain, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards etc.

Obama wrote two bestsellers on his own.

He can run the country just as competently as he writes.

[Cyndee1113]

Dont' forget Hillary, she did not write her book. Bill did not either.

[drkazmd65]

I just finished "Audacity" last week - and if he didn't write it,.. he had one hell of a ghost writer that wrote like he speaks.

Not that I in any way doubt that he wrote that book.

It's an excellent read, shows the way the man thinks, and has convinced me (a hard-core Kucinich supporter) that Obama is a good, honest (at least relatively - he is a poltican after all), and excellent choice to be the next President.

[Cyndee1113]

drkazmd65, thank you!

[DAVESEAN]

THE YOUNG MAN IS INTELLIGENT EVEN BEATING MR CLINTON WITH TURNOUT AT THE BOOK SIGNING.......EXCELLENT SELF PRESENTATION/PR

[dajay]

Really??? Did his books outsell Bill Clinton's. I doubt it.

[drzoon]

yes they did outsell bill's books

and.. he beat him in the grammy too for his audio book

he basically beats them... at everything

[Cyndee1113]

His book outsold Bill and Hillary Clinton. Everyone knows that.

[Seattlelite]

I recommend getting his books on audio, Sen. Obama orates them himself. Nice to hear his words in his own voice.

[SaddieMcCall]

I agree - he is fantastic! No wonder his audio books won grammys.

[marymansour]

Thanks Janny Scott. Even if one wasn't a devoted member of Obama Nation (as I am), his autobiography is riveting. I think (sorry detractors) this young man may be a genius. His writing is wonderful and his book is one of those that should have an honored place in the biography section of the Library Of Congress.

Added to his brilliant campaign management and other incredible skills, charisma and honesty, I think the USA will be truly blessed if he becomes our president.

[claytonbell]

Thanks, Janny from the Times. There is just something so unseemly having a candidate who can write a book. Especially a MEMOIR. Sounds sort of like French to me. I'm not a fan of reading unless its from Janny at the Times. Only Janny should be able to write about Obama, not Obama. And why wont' he tell us what his next book is about? Senator, release your drafts now!

Go Obama '08 & '12

[LeftLeanWing]

gave me a smile....

[VOTER]

Imagine having a President of the United State with reading, writing and speaking skills.

IMAGINE!

VOTE OBAMA!!

[Citizenofreality]

What a novel idea, to have a thinking person rather than an empty suit in the White House.
GO OBAMA!

[hank48188]

Obama seems to like to embellish whenever possible. I read a piece at a blog called Analyze This, the writer worked with Obama at a New York newsletter publisher and said Obama lied about his position there and his responsibilities. Reading the comments from other readers was revealing, 4 or 5 of them also worked at the newsletter publisher and they all agreed Obama was lying.

[punkingale]

I'm TRYING to read "The Audacity of Hope". He should have titled it "The Audacity of Hype".

[vippy]

wow, that was an earth shattering revelation!

[harriscrl3]

Obama is not a saint he never said he was who doesnt embellish things I mean GMAB. I wish people would stop making Obama out to be this perfect person he is NOT and he has said so. Saying you were a Professor when you were lecturer thats the kind of stuff we are talking about here. WHen I list my responsibility for my job on my resume I put everything I did even if I did it once its not part of my job description but hey I did it once in the course of my job. Who doesnt tell a lie once in a while the difference he is not pathological like HIlary and he is not an inherent flip flop excuse me Maverick like John McCain.

Carol

[vernonbc]

The University of Chicago issued a statement in March stating that Obama was indeed a professor. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Obama_vindicated_on_lawschool_title.html

"From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School........ Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors....... Several times during his 12 years as a professor in the Law School, Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined."

[claytonbell]

Do you mean embellish, like as in your post here, or embellish like "I'm under sniper fire" embellish, or do you mean embellish like "yellow cake uranium"?

[ChiGuy]

Aside from the site not being there, so what if he padded his resume in a very minor way?

There are few public figures that haven't at some point or another.
And if you're going to try and claim a pattern of lying, then let's talk about Hillary in Bosnia, or McCain's claim of detachment from lobbyists.

[dajay]

Still talkling about Hillary?

[kay]

Rather than read and comment on the piece at the top of the page you choose to quote "a writer" from a blog?

The sources in the newspaper piece are named, are familiar with Obama's work, and not a one mentioned anything about "embellishing".

In fact, in the NY Times piece, Cass Sunstein, describes a completely different experience while working with Obama at the University of Chicago.

You're commenting only to deliberately spin this story as a story that discredits Obama.

It's not. Apparently, you didn't bother to read it.

[ChiGuy]

Liar.

http://www.analyzethis.com/

[kay]

That's a shocker. He didn't actually read the story he cited?

He didn't read the story at the top of the page either.

[kellygrrrl]

I'm sure the Repugnants have read both books forwards and backwards thousands of times.

the good news: We all know McLame's nasty stories
and we have watched the Repugnant Regime rule for 7 years so we know exactly what awaits us under a McLame Regime.

[rubicon101]

poor kellygrrrl, although I am a democrat, I don't consider you of my party. A little respect would do for a man who "gave it up" for your sorry little behind. McCain spent a part of life as a POW in terribel conditions for you, no matter if you are a poor excuse of an american.

[vippy]

No soldier ever gave his life for me! So don't spread those lies. They do what they
have to do, for lack of jobs, for a better education, etc. Those wars were fought
at one time, but not in this century, for these wars now are only to enrich the few
on the backs of the poor! Just study history, a general said those very words.
Sick of this crappy patriotism stuff!

[rubicon101]

you vapid little snot, when there does come a time to defend your freedoms, we should just let you to your own devices. You are what is wrong with this world. You don't deserve this country.
you type;
"Those wars were fought at one time, but not in this century" this century is only into it's ninth year, you gutless little creep.

[CTmom13]

McSame just thinks WAR....He lives, sleeps and dreams BOMBING and WAR. We cannot have someone with such a HOT TEMPER and policies just like Bush in the White House ever again!!!

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

He gave up nothing. He failed to bomb civilians in Vietnam because he was a second rate pilot, and was captured because he got shot down. The Vietnam war wasn't about defending America or Americans just as the Iraq war is not about defending America or Americans. When we have a Government that makes lousy decisions about war, using the forces of fear to feed the Military Industrial Complex and Corporate forces, the military is manipulated into fighting not for America but for the evil interests of the few. McCain didn't have a choice while he endured torture and imprisonment, however he did have a choice to do good with his life when he returned home. What did he do? He had an affair with Cindy and dumped his invalid wife who had waited for his return, and then entered politics, disgracing himself with being a member of the Keating Five. He is a proven liar, a supporter of the war profiteering and blood for oil regime of Bush and he wants to continue Bush's corrupt policies which is harmful to America, other nations such as Iran and to global stability. He had a choice to support Webb's GI bill and he chose not to do so. He's flip flopped on torture, and his continued choices as a corrupt lying shill for the neocons have been made abundantly clear to anyone who knows his voting record in the Senate.

He is simply a disgrace.