“THE LIES OF SARAH PALIN” by Geoffrey Dunn to be published Tuesday
May 9, 2011
Congratulations to Jeff Dunn. His full first name is Geoffrey, but his friends–among whom I’m proud to number myself–call him Jeff.
On Tuesday, St. Martin’s Press will publish his first book:
The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power.
I’ve read it and I think it’s terrific. It’s the first comprehensive and authoritative book-length (445 pages) account of Sarah Palin’s rise to Alaskan power and national prominence. As I’ve told Jeff privately, his book “thoroughly and mercilessly exposes her mendacity and meretriciousness.”
Geoffrey Dunn is a journalist and documentary filmmaker who teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and who has blogged frequently about Sarah Palin at Huffington Post over the past couple of years.
He is also a husband, father and cancer survivor, one of whose children, Tess Dunn, is building a career as a singer/songwriter, despite suffering from cystic fibrosis.
I’ve gotten to know Jeff over the past couple of years. It has been a privilege and it continues to be a joy. People might tend to think that two authors working on books about the same subject would view one another, at best, as rivals. More often than not, that’s probably true. But Jeff and I have never felt that way. We have been open and honest with each other from the start and we’ve never felt ourselves to be in competition. We have, in fact, helped each other as much and as often as we could along the way. Just checking my emails, I see that Jeff and I have corresponded more than 150 times since I left Alaska last September. And that’s in addition to the time we’ve spent talking on the phone.
So there’s no rivalry here: Bravo, il mio grande amico! Tanti auguri!
I hope The Lies of Sarah Palin enjoys all the success that it and Geoffrey Dunn deserve.
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15 Responses to ““THE LIES OF SARAH PALIN” by Geoffrey Dunn to be published Tuesday”
Congratulations are definitely in order for Mr. Dunn – I said way back at the first announcement that he was going to have to put out a series such as Life Time Books for this subject, but by now that’s been joked about many many times as the book’s date has been pushed to accommodate the incredible propensity for the untruths which roll so easily off Sarah’s forked tongue.
Unlike the masses, I have no expectations that any of these insights and revelations will change the Palinbot – but my pleasure is great to know that no matter what they say, they are going to be busy little idiots and all aflutter with lies of their own. It’s going to be a rough summer for them – stretching the bounds of their little dark or brainwashed minds. I’m sure there are some good folks caught up in the mess that is Sarah, but we are each responsible for our thoughts and actions, so I wish them the best in trying to sort all that out but have zero sympathy for anyone that easily influenced by the Queen of Twits.
I just sent off an email to you, hopefully it’s not buried in your spam. Thank you from Alaska, for all of your hard work (and for spending a really weird summer here, I’m sure). Hopefully next time you visit, you can enjoy a real Alaskan summer with the stench of Sarah dispelled far and wide.
I had to look up ” meretriciousness” in the dictionary and that is the perfect word to describe Sarah Palin. Joe, I’ll be reading Dunn’s book and I can’t wait to read yours. Nice to know you two are friends and I bet you shared alot of information while researching for your books.
I echo Martha’s thanks to Dunn, Frank Bailey and Jeanne Devon and especially you, Joe, for taking the time to expose $arah Paylin. Your name recognition and renown as an author adds extra clout to the revelations about this psychopath and will guarantee even more readership. Alaska thanks you all for spreading irrefutable messages about all things Paylin. Can’t wait to see the reactions!
Have had both books on order for quite some time and look forward to digging in when Geoffrey Dunn’s arrives this week. I so hope it alerts a few out there who aren’t confirmed palinbots but fall in the undecided category and might find favor with her simply because she’s a female. Her fans can love her forever for all I care but she’s a dangerous ingredient in an already prickly political arena.
Thanks to both of you for the endless months of research you’ve logged. Know it couldn’t have been pleasant duty and I’m sure neither of you is looking forward to the endless waves of hateful insults that will be hurled by the bots.
This isn’t the right place, but I’ll do it anyway.
Palins at :53 and 1:29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HioPyCID6RI
What a nice thing to read.
In the US right now, trash talking seems to be the norm.
Palin would not have anything to say if she wasn’t trashing anybody.
I can’t WAIT until tomorrow! I’ve even washed the salad greens and planned meals ahead!
It is good to hear that the two of you have a good relationship.
Considering some of the stuff that has gone down in trying to out Sarah Palin, that could well be unique. Though there are always her bots trying to fan any flames of rivalry that emerge.
Fortunatly many of those in opposition to Palin remain adults and old enough to have aquired some knowlege of human nature so don’t rise to the bait.
Count yourself and Geoffrey Dunn among those who act like adults.
It shows real depth of character and maturity to have a cooperative relationship with one another. Congratulations!
I could have planted the seed for your book back in October of 2006. My husband and I attended the gubernatorial debate at UAA just prior to Palin’s election as governor. Afterwards Tony Knowles and Andrew Halcro lingered and spoke with the attendees. Palin, on the other hand, was whisked out, surrounded by her posse. You couldn’t get near her, let alone ask her a question. As she walked right past us my husband and I looked at each other and both of us knew at that moment she was trouble. She proved us right.
Thank you for revealing the details of what we could have predicted went on behind the scenes. It was obvious then. I agree with Mr. Dunn when he says nothing about Palin surprises him. Nothing. We’re with you. Both of you.
I ordered Dunn’s book and yours on Amazon. I got Dunn’s book today. I have to wait until tonight to start reading it. darn! Mr. McGinniss, when I pre-ordered your book I also ordered your “Going to Extremes”. I love reading it. I’ve recommended it often to friends. It’s a must for lovers of history. Thank you. warm regards, Chris
Some readers of Joe’s blog might not be aware that his 1969 book, The Selling of the President 1968, is not only one of the greatest American presidential campaign books, it broke new ground through its in-your-face acknowledgement of how candidates are packaged as “products.” The book influenced writers across the spectrum, from the young Hunter S. Thompson, to William F. Buckley, who praised the book in an interview I taped for KRAB FM radio in Seattle in 1971.
Yippee! Amazon just emailed that my copy of the Dunn book will be in my meaty paws by tomorrow. I will have to restrain myself from hugging the UPS delivery guy.
Laundry’s done, fridge is well stocked with ‘Cuties’, strawberries and bananas and all that’s left to do is turn off the phone and fluff my pillow for a long comfy read. Might have to play Bruno’s Lazy Song video to set the mood but all in all, Tuesday looks to be a real fine day in Medford OR!!
Just saw this and thought you might be interested Mr. McGinnis:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2011/0510/The-Lies-of-Sarah-Palin
First review I’ve seen of the book and they treat him shabbily. Reduce him to a gossip monger essentially.
I expect more of this, frankly. Otherwise they’d all have to own the footwork they never bothered to do.
Yes, Freesia, this same negative review by Kelly Nuxoll is at the CSM, The Alaska Dispatch, and Kirkus. However, amazon’s 5 reviewers (so far) give it 5 stars. I see no other reviews at present. Joe — I bet you know so much about how reviews work and what’s going on here. Could you write a post about it? Would love to hear your take on it.
A couple of thoughts:
1) review outlets may be waiting in order to review Dunn’s book together with the upcoming Bailey.
2) St. Martin’s Press, Dunn’s publisher, has done nothing in his behalf.
3) book review outlets may just not care about Sarah any more.
Points 1 & 3 are speculation. Point 2 is fact. More than that it’s up to Dunn, not me, to say.
–Joe