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Review by George Cowmeadow Bauman
Sunday nights at 8 o'clock used to be known for "The Ed Sullivan Hour." Now -- at least among booklovers -- the hour is known for "Booknotes."
Airing on C-SPAN, "Booknotes" is one of the best things that has happened to the world of books. And now that C-SPAN 2 is showing "About Books" on Saturday and Sunday nights, booklovers can finally brag on Monday morning about something they saw on TV over the weekend.
"Booknotes" is hosted by C-SPAN's founding CEO, Brian Lamb. In his calm, direct manner, Lamb enables the viewer to gain insights into over 400 writers' lives and minds. Full of probing questions, he represents each of us as he faces these authors, endlessly curious about their creative process, their reading habits, and the writers who have inspired them.
To produce a book, Lamb has sifted through the transcripts of 400 interviews. The sections of the book are "Storytellers," "Reporters," and "Leaders." Books selected for the program are always nonfiction, hardcover, and widely available, and "either affect or record our national debate, the ongoing dialogue about issues." This book features 150 essays which are woven from the highlights of the interviews, focusing not on the books' subject matter, but rather on the process of writing and publishing, of what it's like being a writer.
The reader can learn why Faulkner refused to sign his books for Bennett Cerf; why Shelby Foote thinks of himself as a novelist despite his famous Civil War writings; what leads Margaret Thatcher to state that she is "almost hailed as a heroine." George Will reveals what caused him to switch from writing with a fountain pen to a computer. We learn that Jimmy Carter's poetry manuscript was turned down repeatedly and that Nixon wanted to have been a sportscaster.
Viewers of the program will want to have a copy of this book, and people who buy this book due to their interest in writing and authors will inevitably tune in the program. Both will be pleased.
©1997, ProMotion, inc.