Why Obama Can’t Win Author Curses ‘Stupid, Silly Title’

Leon Neyfakh — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:04:14 -0400

The New York Times' Noam Cohen interviewed Shelby Steele, a race scholar currently at Stanford who authored last year's A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win. Mr. Steele is understandably regretful about that unfortunate subtitle now that Obama is our President-elect, telling The Times that it was "slapped on" at the last second and has had the effect of undermining what he feels is his otherwise sound analysis.

The best part of the story is when The Times reporter calls up Free Press, which published A Bound Man, and asks its editor-in-chief Dominick Anfuso whether there was financially-motivated pressure put on Mr. Steele to use the provocative subtitle.

Mr. Anfuso said no, adding that "It is the handful of largely successful books that do that, and that gives the impression that is what we seek." He added: "Subtitles can make best sellers, but they don't have to be provocative to do that. It is a package. They go together."

Air from the Obama Bubble?

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:34:33 -0400

Time Magazine came away somewhat underwhlemed in a cover story on Barack Obama.

Essayist Shelby Steele tells Joe Klein:

"White people are just thrilled when a prominent black person comes along and doesn't rub their noses in racial guilt. White people just go crazy over people like that."

Klein adds this observation:

"With the exception of a bipartisan effort with ultra-conservative Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to publish every government contract--a matter of some embarrassment to their pork-loving colleagues--his record has been predictably liberal."

-- Azi Paybarah

Observer » Shelby Steele

Why Obama Can’t Win Author Curses ‘Stupid, Silly Title’

Air from the Obama Bubble?