Saturday’s Wall Street Journal (registration required) profiled Jimmy Carter’s post-White House career as “a publishing juggernaut”–since 1981 he has published 18 books, the last three of which have 1.4 million copies in print in hardcover.
The paper called Carter, 81, “a versatile writer and relentless marketer” who works hard at his appearances, sticks to his schedule and has won over booksellers because of his efficiency and crowd-pleasing ways. For example, he signs his name “J. Carter” to save time and autographs as many as 800 books an hour. He speaks to everyone on line and makes eye contact. Moreover, “I tell the little girls they’re pretty and ask the little boys how old they are,” he told the Journal.
Erp. Oh, Jimmy… 🙁
My long-time one-way love affair just took a huge sideswipe. I don’t have a WSJ password any more.
Someone who read the entire article, please tell me that Carter does vary it a bit, occasionally asking a little girl her age, or telling a little boy he looks dapper or some such. It is wonderful Carter makes himself so available to the public. I have to laud someone who will sign 800 books in a day. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy toward him…but for the pretty girls bit.
Am I being overly sensitive? I don’t think so. I am just thinking about the kids standing in the line for Carter I saw last year, and hearing that message: for girls, only looks matter…