LAT: Palin Is A "Cross Between Annie Oakley And Eva Braun"

The LAT Book Blog, "Jacket Copy," has a great little post on Sarah Palin-as-literary-character. Novelist Seth Greenland, examing Palin through a literary lens, had this to say:

As a novelist, I am fascinated by the emergence of Sarah Palin as a character. This lively cross between Annie Oakley and Eva Braun seems to have released Republican chakras to a degree that could be matched only by the resurrection of Ronald Reagan. This is more extraordinary by virtue of her having been an unknown local politician until -- what? oh, about five minutes ago. As the nation slouches toward her possible elevation to the second-highest office in the land, we're all taking a closer look at what's gone on in Alaska these past few years.

There's the aerial wolf hunting, the moose burgers, the book banning -- excuse me? The book banning? As Jacket Copy reported earlier this week, Palin leaned on the local librarian when she was mayor of Wasilla, urging her to ban certain texts. In other words, we are in danger of going from a nation where the first lady is a former librarian to one where the vice president is a character in "Fahrenheit 451." Clearly, this is what they mean by change you can believe in.

Greenland also talks about the role of Alaska in American literature, though I waited in vain for him to make a pun based on his last name. (Greenland! Get it? It's in the north! It's near Russia! Which means that the author must also be an expert on foreign policy!).

The other reason this post caught my eye was the pic: It's credited to Stephen Nowers for the Anchorage Daily News, so I'm wondering where it was taken — Palin's home? Her office? Either way, it gives me an excuse for one more pun: Oooh, bear-accuda!

Who is Sarah Palin? A novelist considers character [LAT - Jacket Copy]