Books

Author Josh Meyer will be speaking at the National Press Club tonight to promote his book “The Hunt for KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.”

The book, co-written with Terry McDermott, is described as an inside look at “the US government’s dogged but flawed pursuit of this elusive and dangerous man… a heart-pounding trip inside the dangerous, classified world of counterterrorism and espionage.” The book published in late March.

Meyer is the Director of Education and Outreach at the National Security Journalism Initiative. McDermott is a former correspondent for the LAT.

The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m in the Bloomberg Room.

Note: If you already own the book and want it signed, too bad. Only copies purchased at the event will be signed.

Winston Groom, author of “Forrest Gump,” was in town last Wednesday to promote his new book “Ronald Reagan Our 40th President,” a children’s biography.

Groom spoke at the National Portrait Gallery in the Ronald Reagan exhibit featured at the museum through May. Among the little-known details from Groom’s book: Reagan had a bachelors degree in economics from Eureka College. He also became president of the Screen Actors Guild with the intent to combat communists who were infiltrating the organization.

Afterward he signed copies of his book and that’s when we learned this unusual tidbit: Both Groom’s current wife and ex wife were present at the event to support the author.

From the Dept. of Bragiculture…It hasn’t been a necessarily easy time for MSNBC Contributor and Mother Jones Washington Bureau Chief David Corn as of late. First of all, he’s David Corn. Second, his meltdown over his book not being prominently displayed in the Barnes & Noble in Union Station was epic. Book pimping ain’t easy.

But the ego must take praise where it can find it, and David found some on Twitter…and then he couldn’t resist retweeting them in a bit of shameless self-promotion.

Someone named @margaritateresa tweeted an in-depth, thought provoking review that went, “@DavidCornDC your book Showdown is excellent. Well done.” High praise indeed from…yeah, I don’t have any idea either.

Not to be outdone, @JessicahRauch (again, no idea) tweeted, “@DavidCornDC Showdown is Amazing! It’s one of the best political books I’ve ever read!” I’d say she left off “and the only one!” at the end, but that would be a little cynical.

In what kind of looks like a copy/paste reply or a generic “thank you” app, Corn, after retweeting both, replied “Thank you very much.”

He could have asked each which parts they liked best, what stuck out, what they thought of this, that or the other things – you know, engaged them…

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The unexpected news: Today, NPR News airs an exclusive broadcast interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler. The famously private writer of such novels as Breathing Lessons and The Accidental Tourist gives arts correspondent Lynn Neary a rare face-to-face opportunity to talk about her craft and career. The conversation airs on Morning Edition and is also available online at npr.org, along with an exclusive excerpt from Tyler’s latest novel, The Beginner’s Goodbye, and a visual tour of Baltimore locations featured in her books.

A week ahead of the release of her 20th novel, Tyler walks around her neighborhood while discussing her life, writing and adopted hometown of Baltimore where most of her novels are set. Tyler gives Neary insight into why she often lets her books speak for themselves and typically avoids book publicity tours, saying, “I did do one [interview] about 35 years ago and I don’t have that much to say. So I figure every 35 years will do; it is just about right. It does make me very self conscious when I go back to writing after I talk about writing.”

Tyler says her characters are a product of her imagination and that she falls in love with all of them, saying: “When I finish a book, I send the book to New York to be read by my agent. So, I just seem to picture them on a train and my heart is broken. I mean I’m thinking of how they’re often sort of limited people or shy people. They’re just so brave to be going up there on their own. It’s really anthropomorphic. But then, after they get accepted, so to speak, and they’re a book on their own, I’m like a mother cat with kittens. I never think about them again. They’re gone.”

Today MSNBC Contributor and Mother Jones‘ Washington Bureau Chief David Corn sends out a funny note about his new book, Showdown.

Dear David,

While we understand that you think subjecting everyone in your email contacts to a note about your book is the way to go here, we think another showdown in an area bookshop is clearly the better option. That’s just us though. We know we’re not your publicists, but should you want any tips on how to start another controversial uproar let us know. We’re here for you!

We’ve highlighted our favorite lines in your letter below. People are such dumbasses these days…so many ways to communicate and still they don’t always get it! So frustrating, we know.

Sincerely, FishbowlDC.

Dear Friends, Associates, and/or Others in My Email Contacts,

As you may or may not know, my new book, Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Fought Back Against Boehner, Cantor, and the Tea Party (William Morrow), has been released (in hardback, ebook, and audiobook read by yours truly). Though I have relentlessly tweeted and Facebooked about the book, I still find folks who have missed these polite reminders. So I am sending out this notice–with a description of the book (which has sparked a Fox News spat, been cited by Jay Leno, and been denounced by Rush Limbaugh) and relevant links below. Please forgive me if this email (in your case) is redundant, particularly if you have already rushed out to buy the book, or if you receive multiple copies of this notice (my contacts list is a bit unwieldy).

Thanks for anything you can do to support the book.

All best,

David

The Competitive Enterprise Institute and Christian Josi are hosting a book party and signing tomorrow at CEI HQ for Americans for Tax Reform Prez Grover Norquist and John Lott, Jr., celebrating the publication of Debacle: Obama’s War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future. A description of the book is as follows: “A provocative critique of the Obama administration’s economic policies and an examination of America’s difficult economic future.” Complimentary copies will be available to the first 50 guests.

Space is apparently extremely limited, so good luck getting in.

All’s well that ends well?

MSNBC and Mother Jones’ David Corn, who had a quick meltdown this morning on his way out of town at the Union Station Barnes & Noble, now has his newly released book, Showdown, well-displayed. One of our spies passed by the store during lunch and sent us this photograph as proof that minor temper tantrums can and do work.

Corn says no shouting occurred and insists our spy is way off, but our witness says things got so heated that people stopped to stare as the author objected to the fact that his book wasn’t prominently displayed as was promised to him.

Above you will see that Corn prevailed — the book is now front and center and easily accessible to those who visit the bookshop.

MSNBC Contributor and Mother Jones’ Washington Bureau Chief David Corn apparently got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

He was spotted in the Barnes & Noble at Union Station throwing a fit because his new book — his fifth — fitting called Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Fought Back Against Boehner, Cantor, and the Tea Party out today didn’t have its own display. He was overheard yelling at the manager that “every paper in America” was going to be talking about his book today and yet nobody could find it there.

The manager explained that corporate tells him what books get displays and that the order did not call for that. Corn maintained that the bookstore wasn’t well run and stormed out in a huff.

“It was a scene,” our spy tells us.

Corn, who is usually very amiable, explained to FishbowlDC what happened. He admitted he was “agitated” but said he did not “lose his temper” with either the Nook salesman out front or the manager in back. “Agitated? Yes. Losing my temper? No. I was exasperated.” Corn said he was upset that this is the only bookseller left on Capitol Hill and that his book was not prominently displayed, as he’d been promised.

“It could just be this bookstore didn’t get the memo,” he surmised. “People are walking by. This is the day you want them to see the cover. You don’t know what it means the day your book comes out and your book is not prominently displayed.”

Our spy said the manager kept his cool. “Manager was awesome. Totally calm. Looked up the order for him to confirm no display. Actually, he acted as if he gets a bunch of jerks coming in there with similar demands. Washington!”

UPDATE: Three cheers for Corn! His book is now displayed at the front of the store, as it is supposed to be, he noted. He still discounts the version our spy told us, saying, “I did not yell at the manager. As the author of several books, I know better than to shout at the people who sell my books. He even asked me to return to sign books–which I will gladly do.”

If you follow Slate’s Matt Yglesias on Twitter, you have seen his relentless tweets about his new book, “The Rent is Too Damn High.” It’s an e-book available online. As soon as it hit Amazon yesterday, Yglesias found himself facing the wrath of the legacy of Andrew Breitbart. On Thursday of last week, when Breitbart passed away, Yglesias tweeted “”Conventions around dead people are ridiculous. The world outlook is slightly improved with @AndrewBrietbart dead.” There was an uproar over his comments, but the anger seemed to cool off as we started a new week. But, not so fast. HuffPost reports that reviewers are leaving scathing reviews of the book. Here are some of our favorite quotes:

- Same ol’ same ol’. Please for the love of your god, get some new material.

- The world outlook is slightly improved with giving this book 1 star.

- If you purchase this book, you’ll be putting money in the pocked of a ghoul who revels in the deaths of people he disagrees with politically. Of course, if this is your intention, you’re no better than he.

- I’m sure Matty meant well, but unless you want to read a frustrated, confused teenager’s journal about his latent homosexuality, I’d go ahead and skip this drivel.

- None of Matt Yglesias’ opponents would be glad if he died.

- Andrew Breitbart passed away leaving a wife and 4 small children. You said “The world outlook is slightly improved with @AndrewBrietbart [sic] dead.”
Very nicely done. I’m sure Andrew’s wife and kids are consoled by your concern.

So it seems that even in death, Breitbart still throws a mean punch… Read more

From L to R: Ali showing off an Ali in Wonderland cookie; Elizabeth Thorp, Sissy and Ali.

Last night was a magical evening at the Four Seasons for Ali Wentworth, who was there to have her new book, Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales, feted by the likes of dignitaries, socialites, the hotel, Elle Magazine Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers and Hunter and Kathy Biden, the son and daughter-in-law of the Vice President of the United States.

The setting was only fitting as Ali’s family always had an affection for the Four Seasons and she mentioned it in her book.

Among the party highlights: A gigantic table full of chocolate shavings and pieces. All kinds, all shapes and sizes. Hors d’ oeurves of all varieties — scallops on a bed of papaya salad on miniature silver spoons that were not all that easy to eat, tiny toasts dotted with goat cheese, mushroom bruschetta, and then ricotta cheese and apricot, and beef, lamb and vegetable kabobs. A table stacked gloriously high with Ali in Wonderland frosted shortbread cookies. Oh, and glass after glass of pink champagne.

“I didn’t want to particularly enlighten people,” Wentworth told me about her book before the crowd spilled in. “I just want to make people laugh.”

Asked how she feels about her husband, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, returning to “This Week,” she replied, “I’m really happy. I know it’s a huge workload, but it makes him happy. It’s his wheelhouse.” Asked to compare Washington, where she grew up, and NYC, she said, “I like each city for completely different reasons. Life is easier here. But in New York, you can get a fantastic steak frites at 3 in the morning.”

Though she recently appeared on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” she says she tries to avoid saying anything too politically stinging. That said, she likes to go on TV and mix it up with people. As for swearing on air, she says, “If you’re a comedian you can swear, if you’re a politician, certainly you have to be careful.”

Wentworth’s older sister, Sissy, was there. As was USA Today‘s Ann Oldenberg, Washingtonian‘s Carol Joynt, a photographer from Capitol File, Poshbrood’s Elizabeth Thorp, BrandLink publicist Barbara Martin, lobbyist and socialite Juleanna Glover and more. Rumors were abound that V.P. Joe Biden was on his way. But in the end, it was his son and daughter-in-law who arrived.

“People often ask who’s older and it gets to her,” said Sissy, a jewelry designer. As for the book, she says, “I think it’s hysterical. Very funny. All true with some embellishments.” She said she read it on a plane from Houston to Tucson and overheard two women going on about it. Fortunately all good things.

Sissy says Ali was always the funny one: “Always clamoring for attention. Constant entertainment. She’s doing what she always did in our living room growing up.” She says Ali’s humor got her out of trouble, not in it. “I always admired that quality,” she said. “She was the funny risk taker.”

Just in from Paris, Elle‘s Myers was jet-lagged but pleased to be able to co-host the party for Ali. They have a personal friendship, but Robbie is loathe to overstate it. “We’re friendly,” she said, explaining that Ali in Wonderland won the magazine’s Reader’s Prize for February.

Contrary to Ali and Sissy, Robbie (pictured above left) thinks there’s more to Ali’s book than just humor. “It’s not just funny, there’s a lot there,” she said. “It’s highly entertaining. She had a very interesting [upbringing] and it’s an interesting window into a life women dream about and aspire to.”