A brief education in politics, in which he talks about his experience as the speech writer. An intimate and hilarious look inside the spin room of the modern politician. What its really like to be a political speechwriter. More specifically, its about mark sanford, the south carolina governor who famously was. There isnt much to learn from the book as far as politics or political theory is concerned. An interesting look at what it was like to be a speechwriter for governor mark sanford. A brief education in politics, the book was written by barton swaim who worked for sanford from 200711, during his second term as governor of south carolina. Governor mark sanford, barton swaim, discussed his new book, the speechwriter, at richland library main thursday night. Through his three years in the governors office, swaim paints a portrait of a man so principled hed rather sweat than use state money to. His epic rise in politics, the betrayal that led to his disgrace, and his quest for redemption.
Mark sanford, is destined to be a classic of political communication. That leader is a strong one, and the fact that he never became that strong leader is the central tragedy of both the book and sanfords career. Speechwriter, barton swaim shares tales of working for mark sanford. The speechwriter tells the story of a disgraced governors former scribe the man who put words into the mouth of former south carolina governor mark sanford takes readers behind the political.
The story of mark sanfords rise and quick fall as south carolinas governor has become legendary. What its like to write speeches for a rude, rambling and. A brief education in politics, the book was written by barton swaim who worked for sanford from 200711, during his second term as. When swaim went to work as mark sanfords speechwriter, he was a naive english doctorate with romantic notions of what his job would entail.
The speechwriter brings you inside the spin room of the modern politician in a wry and eloquent memoir the wall street journal that is the best book about politics ive read in years gq and will become a classic the washington post. Swaims linguistic torture was not in vain because he ended up writing this book. From 2007 to 2010 he worked for south carolinas governor mark sanford of as a speechwriter, an experience he wrote about in a memoir titled the speechwriter. It is at times amusing, true, but really its an account of a bemusing. From 2007 to 2010, he served as a speechwriter for mark sanford, the south. Much of the book is an entertaining inside look at. Im a dead man walking mark sanford has nothing left to lose. Well your book turns out to be quite a funny book, partly because you must be a humorous writer, and a humorous man, first of all. While youre browsing, by all means pick up the speechwriter, by barton swaim, sanfords speechwriter for the latter part of his administration. Gop presidential candidate mark sanford said the unsubstantiated corruption allegations made by. He lives in columbia, south carolina, with his wife, laura, and three daughters, and writes regularly for the wall street journal and the times literary supplement. Former speechwriter barton swaim talks about his book the speechwriter.
Mark sanford prior to joining his staff and long before sanfords epic meltdown over his socalled argentina affair. Not using sanfords name was my way of saying this book isnt about mark sanfordits about me and what i learned during a brief time in. From 2007 to 2010 swaim worked for mark sanford, south carolinas governor, as a communications officer and speechwriter. This article is adapted from his book, the speechwriter.
Mark sanford, joins alex witt to discuss his tellall new book about what working for a powerful politician is really like. Politics is also at the center of the debut book the speechwriter. Swaims coworkers in the communications office, the speechwriter is also a nice little examination of the anguish of writing, especially. There has never been a more candid political book than barton swaims memoir of his time working for sanford as a speechwriter. Swaim recounts numerous anecdotes from a threeyear stint as a speech writer for former south carolina governor mark sanford. The speechwriter will make you like mark sanford, and hate. Barton swaim this book is an intimate and hilarious look inside the spin room of the modern politician. The speechwriter by barton swaim overdrive rakuten. The speechwriter is about the authors short lived career as a speechwriter for then governor of south carolina, mark sanford. It is not the hilarious inside look as its being described. Sep 10, 2019 only someone as despicable as donald trump could make a man such as mark sanford palatable. Swaims book is not a tellall or an effort to settle scores. As swaim recounts in his new book, the speechwriter. From 2007 to 2010, barton swaim worked as a writer for mark sanford, the south carolina governor who set out to hike the appalachian trail, ended up in argentina where he found romance, and in the.
The speechwriter doesnt just provide us the occasional glimpse into sanford s confounding eccentricities and chronic narcissism itliterally exposes the flawed essence of the man. Luv guv barton swaim talks frankly about his controversial new book, the speechwriter, and about his former boss, disgraced former s. Mark sanford more than a punchline in exspeechwriters. Former mark sanford speechwriter talks new book abc columbia. The author worked as a writer in the press office of mark sanford, the thengovernor of south carolina who later inspired the still hilarious. Jul 05, 2016 barton swaims memoir, the speechwriter. Katie arrington, as sanfords repeated public rebukes of president donald trump on behalf of the never trump movement take center stage in this battle for the ages on the campaign trail in the first in the south presidential primary state. A brief education in politics, the book was written by barton swaim who worked for sanford from 200711, during hissecond term as governor of south carolina. A brief education in politics, is excellent reading for a political junkie. But you also see the humor in the crazy world into which you stepped when you became speechwriter for sc governor mark sanford.
In his new book the speechwriter, barton swaim opens up about former south carolina gov. A brief education in politics, in which he talks about his experience as the speech writer for former governor mark sanford. Just as much of the intrigue of the good wife happens after the initial fall, so i cant help but wonder what sort of a book the current speechwriter to congressman sanford might write. The speechwriter book by barton swaim official publisher. A republican, sanford is a former governor of south carolina and a former member of the u. Look the speechwriter a brief education in politics. Barton swaim, former speechwriter and communications officer for thengov. Mark sanford has since gone on to be reelected to congress for south carolinas 1st district. There are 12 pages toward the end of the book where swaim wonders why anyone would ever trust a politician.
The speechwriter tells the story of a disgraced governors. Mark sanfords former speechwriter lays bare his exboss. Thanks to his exboss recklessness, barton swain never got the chance to put words in a u. In the speechwriter, barton swaim shares tales of working for mark sanford. A brief education in politics hardcover 8 oct 2015. Famously brutal on staff membershis former speechwriter wrote a book documenting.
Feb 24, 2015 an interesting, if contradictory political memoir barton swaims biography, covering a short period of time during which he worked for governor mark sanford of south carolina, is an interesting and wellwritten book. Famously brutal on staff membershis former speechwriter wrote a book documenting his workplace miserysanford recalls. Jul, 2015 mark sanfords former speechwriter lays bare his exboss. Mark sanford has a stack of books on his toread list ahead of a new tellall book by an exstaffer who watched the infamous appalachian trail story unfold when charlestons. Jul 14, 2015 from 2007 to 2010 he worked for mark sanford, south carolinas governor, as a communications officer and speechwriter. Aug 21, 2015 the speechwriter tells the story of a disgraced governors former scribe the man who put words into the mouth of former south carolina governor mark sanford takes readers behind the political. Swaim recounts a few good anecdotes and provides some insight into the governors personality, inner political machinery and demise as a governor. Jul 08, 2015 what its like to write speeches for a rude, rambling and disgraced politician the speechwriter by barton swaim, on his time working for south carolina gov. The sellout is a serious book, but its also a masterpiece of inspired humor. Governor mark sanford, barton swaim, discussed his new book, the speechwriter, at. Confessions of a sanford speechwriter make the best.
But nobody is going to read this book and think its a hitjob on sanford. He should relax its not going to do him any damage, and anyhow. Mark sanford of south carolina bestowed many gifts upon the american people, some of them linguistic. What its like to write speeches for a rude, rambling and disgraced politician the speechwriter by barton swaim, on his time working for south carolina gov. The speechwriter by barton swaim within a forest dark. What its like to write speeches for a rude, rambling and disgraced.
Barton swaim occupied that space for nearly four years as a speechwriter for rep. The ironic cherry blog the governors marital infidelity. Sanfords name is never used in the book he is the governor and his. Sanford left the governors job in 2011 and was elected to the house of.
Aug 20, 2015 a muchpraised new book is too snobby about political language. A rollicking jaunt through mark sanfords last term as governor. Swaim, a writer for the wall street journal and times literary supplement, cut his political teeth as speechwriter for former south carolina gov. Mark sanford more than a punchline in exspeechwriters new book. A muchpraised new book is too snobby about political language. Mark sanford rsc is limping into his primary on june 12 against state rep.
Jul 01, 2015 from 2007 to 2010, barton swaim worked as a writer for mark sanford, the south carolina governor who set out to hike the appalachian trail, ended up in argentina where he found romance, and in the. From 2007 to 2010 he worked for mark sanford, south carolinas governor, as a communications officer and speechwriter. The speechwriter tells the story of a disgraced governor. Mark sanford had been openly talked about by influential commentators in new york. The speechwriter by barton swaim the speechwriter brings you inside the spin room of the modern politician in a wry and eloquent memoir the wall street. The speechwriter will make you like mark sanford, and hate the author. The speechwriter, a book written by a former staffer. Refreshingly, this is not a tell all book, but at its heart, an examination of the absurd and often strange ways that language and communication are used by very fallible people, to say veiled and odd things. Jul 30, 2015 what its really like to be a political speechwriter. Swaim, who writes about his three years as a speechwriter for a certain south carolinian governor never mentioned by name is as honest as possible about the upsanddowns, the giveandtakes that a political staffer must make in his own moral life as he puts in 16 hour. What its really like to be a political speechwriter the. Mark sanford, now best known for the epic meltdown around his argentinian affair.
An interesting, if contradictory political memoir barton swaims biography, covering a short period of time during which he worked for governor mark sanford of south carolina, is an interesting and wellwritten book. Mark sanford, staffers sweating speechwriter book fitsnews. Jul, 2015 mark sanford more than a punchline in ex speechwriter s new book in his new book the speechwriter, barton swaim opens up about former south carolina gov. Carlos lozada is the nonfiction book critic of the washington post.
Confessions of a sanford speechwriter make the best politics book. The speechwriter is a funny and candid introduction to the world of politics, where press statements are purposefully nonsensical, grammatical errors are intentional, and better copy means more words. In an elegiac tone that recalls robert penn warrens classic novel all the kings men, swains memoir relates his experiences as a speechwriter for mark sanford. A brief education in politics and millions of other books are. The speechwriter is a witty and creative memoir of life as a speechwriter in south carolinas governors office, during the last few years of mark sanfords administration. A former speechwriter for an exsouth carolina governor offers a glimpse into what it really meant to be a fashioner of words for a selfobsessed politician who fell from grace. The speechwriter evokes robert penn warrens critically acclaimed all the kings men in the characters we see, but their arcs are almost reversed. But as sure as myrtle beach has miniature golf courses, its mark sanford, the maverick governor of south carolina from 2003 to 2011 who made hiking the appalachian trail a euphemism for pursuing an extramarital affair in argentina.
Jul 20, 2015 as swaim recounts in his new book, the speechwriter. From 2007 to 2010 he worked for mark sanford, south carolinas governor. But you also see the humor in the crazy world into which you stepped when you became speechwriter for sc. Mark sanford more than a punchline in exspeechwriters new book in his new book the speechwriter, barton swaim opens up about former south carolina gov.
963 832 965 660 1355 1459 1220 1097 1602 833 1201 1318 892 272 210 810 970 995 263 288 276 651 651 1014 140 509 1495 660