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Publishing & Politics 2004

Books and Bookstores, Authors and Publishers - Adding to the Political Dialogue

by Jim Barnes

Yes, the upcoming presidential election is going to be another very close one. Voters in the United States are polarized as never before, split down the middle by the two-party system. Each side is totally convinced they should win.

This Great Divide extends to the national media, with political pundits on either side taking cheap shots and spinning news about the presidential campaign, the economy, and the war in Iraq their own way. And it’s not just the national media getting involved -- it’s everybody -- from mainstream to indie publishers; political action groups to bloggers. There’s a lot of noise out there, on the street, in bookstores, at the movies, and in living rooms.

The Howard Dean campaign set the tone with its grassroots, Internet-based movement of people eager to remove President Bush from office, and thousands got involved in the political process even though the shadow of 9/11 made protest appear unpatriotic to some. But huge numbers of people protested the war, rallied around Dean, and the flood of articles, books, and films began. In those turbulent waters Dean fell overboard, Michael Moore held up the flag, and Captain Kerry took control of the veering ship.

So the stage was set, literally. The conventions were scripted, prime-time productions as predictable as Dick Clark New Year’s Eve shows. Since then, neither candidate has generated a huge response – they’re both being very careful, waiting for the other to flinch. Kerry doesn’t cut a dashing enough figure to achieve the kind of momentum the other JFK did; his supporters have a “best we’ve got” attitude. President Bush’s support remains solid despite a seemingly disastrous four years and a public speaking and debating style that makes English teachers cringe. Strangely, no matter how deep the deficit gets or how bloody the streets of Iraq become, his defenders hold firm. The polls continue to show a deadlock; the donkey and elephant are acting like two stubborn bull elk with their antlers locked.

I couldn’t figure out this virtual standstill until I read the book, Don’t Think Of An Elephant! (Chelsea Green, $10) in which author George Lakoff describes two philosophical models of family -- the strict father family vs. the nurturing parent family –- and metaphorically attaches them to our two political parties (I think you can guess which is which). According to Lakoff, the strict father model begins with a set of assumptions:

The world is a dangerous place, and it always will be, because there is evil out there in the world. Children are born bad, in the sense that they just want to do what feels good, not what is right. Therefore, they have to be made good.

Blink! goes the light bulb over my head…fear, guilt, and a need to please the father figure… It’s not hard to imagine that during this time of insecurity about terrorism and fiscal uncertainty, with an oil crisis or a meltdown of the Internet looming large, some people would retreat to the protection of a strict and powerful father figure. I read on:

When the good children are mature, they either have learned discipline and can prosper, or have failed to learn it. From this point on the strict father is not to meddle in their lives. This translates politically into no government meddling; no social programs.

But conservatives aren’t against all government, says Lakoff. “They are not against the military, they are not against homeland defense, they are not against the current Department of Justice, nor are not against government subsidies for industry.”

“But they are against nurturance and care. They are against social programs that take care of people. That is what they see as wrong…People who have strict father morality and who apply it to politics are going to believe that this is the right way to govern.”

The light bulb blinks on again; these criteria run much deeper than yard signs and bumper stickers. These attitudes are as ingrained as any we have, and we’ve been harboring them since we were small children. No wonder there are so few “real” undecided voters.

Lakoff also says that conservatives are much better at dictating the terms of national debate, having invested billions of dollars in conservative think tanks that study ideas and language and how to deliver them. That’s a far cry from the guerilla tactics of “the Hollywood set” who use celebrity and MTV-style pop culture events like Rock the Vote and cheeky documentaries to rouse apathetic young and disenfranchised voters. Michael Moore launched his “Slacker Uprising Tour” on September 25th with the statement, "Fifty percent of the country doesn't vote, and a lot of them are slackers like me, so I'm going to go out and just talk to them for the next five weeks."

Can the progressive movement help win the election by inspiring the youth and “slacker” vote?

Surveys have shown that while young people expressed major apathy in 2000, interest in this year’s election is much greater, and that the young are registering at the highest levels since 18-year-olds were given the vote in 1972. Since there are about 40 million Americans aged 18 to 29, (a group now larger than 50 to 65-year-olds) both Democrats and Republicans are conducting young-voter registration drives, especially in swing states.

Possibly inspired by the effectiveness of Internet-based campaigns run by Howard Dean and groups like MoveOn and MediaMatters, more and more citizens are asking: "What can I do?" and finding creative ways to be heard and to get involved. Some of the most visible of these activists are Gen-X authors like Dave Eggers and others published by his McSweeney’s Books and McSweeney’s Quarterly.

One such author is Stephen Elliott, who’s created “Operation Ohio,” a two-part effort aimed at coaxing out the youth vote with registration events at Ohio colleges, during which authors will present free readings of their work. Not only will the likes of Eggers, Aimee Bender, Michael Chabon, ZZ Packer and Tobias Wolff be part of the events, but they will also make phone call reminders to registered students come Election Day. Elliot, who worked for Ralph Nader in 2000, estimates 5,000 new voters will participate.

His new book is a memoir called Looking Forward to It (Picador, $14), and recounts his attempt to come to terms with our imperfect electoral process by spending nearly a year on the campaign trail with candidates ranging from President Bush to Howard Dean and John Kerry. Elliott, now 32, describes it as a personal story.

“Having turned 30 since the last presidential election, this is my first election as an adult. Not that there aren't adults under 30, it’s just that I wasn't one. And so this was the journey, to figure out the process and my responsibility within that process, something I didn't have much of an interest in before 2000. Now that I'm following it closely I realize how wrong I was to think this stuff was going to take care of itself.”

Elliot describes himself as a liberal independent who, in theory, would vote for the right Republican candidate. He'll vote for Kerry in November but says Kerry wasn't his first choice. "It's the end of youth," he says. "There's a point at which you have to compromise."

The Operation Ohio announcement reads:  

“Want to get a phone call from one of your favorite writers? Vote. Tired of cuts to university funding? Worried about global peace and prosperity? Counting on that social security check to keep you playing bridge in your old age? Vote.”

Elliot is encouraged by the response so far. "I've always said, the best way to get connections is not to go to cocktail parties, it's to volunteer. I think artists can contribute a lot to the political dialogue. But I think everyone can contribute a lot. Democracy is about participation and that's what we're doing, familiarizing ourselves with the issues and participating. Farmers could do the same thing, so could bankers. Students in particular need to participate because they are one of the groups this election is going to affect the most.”

Such rallying programs aren’t limited to progressive causes: California-based World Ahead Publishing is offering to exchange copies of Michael Moore's film, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which comes out on DVD on Oct. 5, for a copy of its latest book, Thank You President Bush: Reflections on the War on Terror, Defense of the Family, and Revival of the Economy.

In a press release exhibiting a refreshingly wry sense of humor, the publishing company said: "In urban areas, city leaders periodically sponsor gun `buy-back' programs to help reduce gun violence. Similarly, the ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ DVD Buy-Back program is designed to protect Americans from harm, especially young children who might accidentally slip this dangerous propaganda into the living room DVD player."

The book, which the publisher says "focuses on the facts," including chapters discussing George W. Bush's first term in office written by the president's brother Jeb Bush, U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft, former members of the Reagan administration, and commentators such as James Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family, an American pro-life lobby). "World Ahead Publishing believes in man's inalienable right to freedom and also believes that free markets play an indispensable role in sustaining that liberty," notes Eric Jackson, World Ahead president and a former Internet executive.

"Moore's work isn't a documentary. It's a dangerous weapon that shouldn't be left lying around the house," said Aman Verjee, co-editor of the anthology. "Send us your DVD with Moore's lies and we'll give you the truth on President Bush's record and policies. We want to give people who unsuspectingly buy Moore's propaganda a chance to trade it in for a book that's positive and insightful. While titles critical of the President have poured unchecked into America's bookstores in recent months, Thank You, President Bush provides the definitive rebuttal."

"This is the first time that these luminaries have come together in one book and their consensus is unanimous: America needs to re-elect this President," says co-editor Rod D. Martin. "From his crucial tax cuts to the War on Terror to his impressive work supporting faith and family, George W. Bush has done an incredible job, but that record has been badly distorted by the legion of Bush-haters. This book sets the record straight."

The August 30th publication of Thank You, President Bush coincided with the first day of the Republican National Convention in New York City, where co-editors Verjee and Martin handed out free copies of the book. Verjee is an entrepreneur and former Wall Street bond trader who co-founded American Thunder, a leading NASCAR magazine. Martin is founder and chairman of Vanguard PAC, and a former policy director to Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

A group that’s not so thankful to President Bush -- due to a grudge that dates back to February 2003 -- are the Poets for Peace. After a White House-sponsored poetry event, "Poetry and the American Voice, featuring the works of Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman" was "indefinitely postponed" because of fears it would become a protest against the war in Iraq, a group of poets led by Copper Canyon Press’ Sam Hamill staged protests and poetry readings around the country. Hamill and others published books like Poets for Peace and Poets Against the War, and the voices of poets became a louder part of our national dialogue than it’s been in decades.

To emphasize this trend, Coffee House Press has released Civil Disobediences: Poetics and Politics in Action, a 470-page tome that “offers a manual for understanding poetry’s history and enacting its ultimate power to dismantle and recreate political and cultural realities.” The book’s title also honors one of the great early American self-published authors and peaceniks, Henry David Thoreau.

Composed of essays, lectures, and teaching materials by leading contemporary poets and scholars (including Alice Notley, Robert Creeley, and Samuel R. Delany), this anthology explores the craft of poetry as well as the history of poetic/political action in the US and abroad, the development of ancient and modern poetic forms, the legacy of world renowned poets, and the intersections between poetry and spirituality. It also provides concrete advice about bringing poetry into your local community and ensuring that “poetry is news that stays news.”

Co-editor Lisa Birman says that working on the book was “important to me as a political act.” As an Australian citizen, she is unable to vote in the US, but says “I live and work in the US, and I care about what happens here and how that extends across the world. So while my voice doesn't get a vote, I still have a voice and I can still work to get that voice and the voices of others out there. I guess this book was my vote.”

While the book’s content predates the White House event, there are definite connections, and many of the writers were indeed "Poets Against the War." “Sam Hamill's movement and the anthology he published really brought a focus onto the ‘poets as unacknowledged legislators’ theme, and Civil Disobediences continues to explore and push on that theme,” says Birman.

Another modern-day Thoreau and dedicated tree-hugger has just released a new book, Crimes Against Nature (HarperCollins, $21.95). Bobby Kennedy Jr. is the nation’s most high-profile spokesperson on environmental issues, and he rates President Bush “the worst environmental president in history” (he rates Warren Harding #2). In his book he says the Bush administration has accomplished over 200 environmental rollbacks that even if challenged in court, will take 10-12 years to litigate, and “the damage will be done.” Kennedy (whose original title for the book was “Corporate Fascism and the End of Nature”) blames most of the carnage on Republican control of Capitol Hill and the deregulation-prone Tom DeLay’s methods of strong-arming needed votes.

But he also lays blame on a consolidated, corporate-owned media who shun environmental stories and investigations, not just because they’re not “fast-breaking” but because of major conflicts of interest. For example, NBC is owned by General Electric, the world’s largest polluter with 86 Superfund sites. All of the major networks and news outlets are afraid to anger the auto industry, their largest source of ad revenue. When Kennedy blasted GE’s environmental record during an interview on MSNBC’s Charles Grodin Show, Grodin lost his job.

Other examples of corporate media becoming less investigate and more celebrity gossip and sensation-oriented abound. It’s no wonder the small press segment of book publishing, long known as society’s conscience and watchdog, has sprung into action with a V.W. minibus-load of titles questioning the powers-that-be. Put a small press from Maui and a PAC together, and the promotional possibilities explode. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country was published in April of 2004, and with its collection of fifty call-to-action essays from members around the country, MoveOn took its message offline and into print. Distributor PGW got strongly behind getting the book into bookstores (company president Rich Freese is pictured above). With more than two million members, MoveOn’s cutting-edge model for political activism had already mobilized thousands of volunteers and raised millions of campaign dollars. Could they transfer that energy into books and bookstores?

Publisher Inner Ocean of Maui decided to launch the book with a national event campaign that in many ways mirrored the style of MoveOn, as hundreds of volunteers came forward to host events at their local independent bookstores. Thousands of people attended the events, many of them participating in politics for the first time, according to Inner Ocean publicity manager Katie McMillan.

“Regardless of one’s personal politics, participating in our political process is vital -- not only for the future of our nation but for the future of the world,” says McMillan. “It is very encouraging to see a book start this kind of political dialogue and reaffirm the independent bookstore as a community gathering place and a forum for the exchange of ideas.”

Readers Oasis in Tucson hosted one of the events, and Events Coordinator and Head Buyer Jeff Yanc says he’s always looking for events that “promote positive change.” In fact, Readers Oasis hosted seven political events in April, including readings and signings with Jim Hightower, author of Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush, Democracy Now! radio host Amy Goodman, and former Senator Gary Hart. The store has had a voter registration table set up at the store entrance every weekend since then.

“About 200 people showed up for the MoveOn event, and people shared stories, connected and networked about each others’ groups and causes. It’s amazing to see the upsurge of interest in politics –- it’s been our focus this whole year.” Yanc sees a growing activism among young people and a broadened spectrum of political literature. “We’re selling lots of political graphic novels and even political music CDs, like the MoveOn/McSweeny’s ’The Future Soundtrack of America.’ I think if you’re an independent bookseller you almost have to be an activist, but it truly is gratifying to be a part of this national conversation. I’m really glad people are reading books to get political information, regardless of whether it’s liberal or conservative. That’s so much better than getting it from Fox News on television.”

Left Bank Books in St.Louis co-sponsored a MoveOn event with their local listener-supported radio station. “We had about 700 people at that event, which was heartening,” says co-owner Kris Kleindienst. “I think booksellers can and do play a critical role in the political life of our community. Books can definitely sway an election, although I think books and booksellers are more effective as agents of long-term change. In the current market there must be a couple of hundred books criticizing Bush, his policies, his family, his theft of the election, his cabinet and advisers. This is unprecedented in my 30 years as a bookseller. People reading and discussing in-depth treatments of current political issues are necessary to a democratic society. Over the years, a bookstore can have an effect in its community simply by being here, stocking the books that ask the questions, maintaining a space for conversations and readings, and by taking a public stand against measures such as those in the U.S. Patriot Act which threaten the First Amendment.”  

John Evans, co-owner of DIESEL, A Bookstore of Oakland, CA, also takes the notion of books and booksellers affecting the upcoming election very seriously. “Ideally, yes, bookstores, publishers and authors would have an effect on every election,” says Evans. “We have a primary focus for our events, a commitment to public dialogue, civilly and intelligently delivered. The 50 Ways event was just one of many this year. Our country seems to be in an increasingly polarized and superficial political state. The infotainment industry encourages both, to the disservice of everyone. There are few venues that attempt intelligent discourse in an open and involved way.”

”Ideally, independent bookstores –- as well as authors and publishers -- can help to provide a corrective to the abandonment of these values in other institutions in the civil society. Unfortunately, most people are only reading books that preach to their already held opinions, rather than opposing ones. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a conservative spokesperson as articulate and honest as Bill Moyers, say?”

Bill Moyers, indeed. Instead we have the ratings-hungry pundits like Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, and Dennis Miller who Vanity Fair critic James Wolcott calls “attack poodles” in his new book Attack Poodles and Other Media Mutants: The Looting of the News in a Time of Terror (Miramax, May 2004). Wolcott says these pop-journalists are geared more toward quips, rants, profits and fame than to informing a democratic populace.

DIESEL’S Evans agrees: “The problems of this administration are not the cause of all of our political woes. Would that they were. More ongoing speech, discussion, and playfulness with ideas would be good for all of us. Hopefully, independent bookstores, publishers and authors are rising to the occasion of truly dark times -- structurally, politically, economically, and culturally.  But, that's what we always do, at all times.”