'Rogue': Is Sarah Palin book too sleazy?
On , author Joe McGinniss called Sarah Palin 鈥渁 phenomenon.鈥� He was referring to her political trajectory, but he could have meant the outsized attention she generates.
McGinniss should know. His dishy investigation into Palin, 鈥淩ogue,鈥� has been creating controversy and conversation a-plenty, and it鈥檚 not even out yet.
鈥� namely, that before she was married Sarah had a sexual encounter with a future NBA basketball star (substantiated-ish); that she had an affair with her husband鈥檚 business partner (denied by all involved); and that in her youth she used both cocaine and marijuana (unclear).
Incidentally, .
For its part, . Among other things, reviewer Janet Maslin says most of 鈥淩ogue鈥� is 鈥渄ated, petty and easily available to anyone with Internet access.鈥�
Meanwhile, Garry Trudeau, creator of the comic strip 鈥淒oonesbury,鈥� excerpted the book鈥檚 charges that Palin fired every minority on her staff and wore a push-up bra to meetings in order to get what she wanted. In response, Newsday, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the Chicago Tribune all pulled Trudeau鈥檚 strip for the week.
This is not to say that the biggest hoopla about the book 鈥� which will be released on Sept. 20 鈥� is what鈥檚 inside it. Most of the fireworks are about real estate. It seems that just as McGinniss was moving to Wasilla to interview Palin鈥檚 fellow citizens about the former governor, the house next to Sarah and Todd opened up. McGinniss seized the opportunity, rented the place for the summer, and wrote most the book within spitting distance of his subject.
This fact, along with the book鈥檚 seemingly gossip-y content, has generated months of back-and-forth. In brief, of his temporary home; as yet another example of sensationalist, attacking media; and
Kelly Nuxoll is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.
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