Hillary Clinton wins over crowd with humor while promoting her upcoming book
Hillary Clinton鈥檚 next book is about 鈥渙ur rapidly changing and increasingly interdependent world, and the challenges facing us in the 21st century from Crimea to climate change.鈥�
In other words, she said, 鈥渏ust another light summer read.鈥�
The former secretary of state addressed the Association of American Publishers鈥� annual gathering in New York Wednesday to discuss her next book, which is about her experiences in the Obama administration and is due out in June. And if her keynote speech is any indication, her forthcoming book should be cataloged under 鈥榟umor.鈥�
While details about the forthcoming book were scarce, as well as any information on whether Clinton plans to run in the presidential primaries in 2016, the witty politician spent much of the 15-minute speech cracking joke after joke.聽
鈥淣ow I鈥檓 still mulling over various titles,鈥� she told the crowd. 鈥淏ut helpfully about a year ago the Washington Post asked readers to send in suggestions.鈥澛�
鈥淔or example,鈥� she said, eliciting laughter before she even revealed potential titles.
鈥淥ne possibility was 鈥業t Takes A World' 鈥� a fitting sequel to 鈥淚t Takes a Village.鈥欌�澛�
鈥淎nother plays off my love of all things Tina Fey: 鈥楤ossy Pantsuit.鈥欌��
She cited another title that had been suggested, 鈥淪crunchy Chronicles,鈥� adding her own clever subtitle: 鈥�112 Countries and It is Still All About My Hair.鈥�
In all seriousness, the as-yet-untitled book to be published by Simon & Schuster will be about Clinton鈥檚 experiences in the State Department as well as her thoughts about the country鈥檚 future, she said.
Clinton didn鈥檛 say much more about the forthcoming book, but she did reveal a few lessons she鈥檚 learned from her previous books.
One lesson: Watch out for foreign translations. Chinese editions of her 2003 bestselling memoir 鈥淟iving History鈥� deleted passages critical of the government.
And in Bill Clinton鈥檚 2004 memoir 鈥淢y Life,鈥� a passage about his birth in Arkansas was comically revised, according to Hillary Clinton. Where Bill Clinton writes that he was born 鈥渦nder a clear sky after a violent summer storm in a town called Hope,鈥� the Chinese edition reads 鈥淭he town of Hope, where I was born, has very good Feng Shui.鈥澛�
The biggest lesson, which she said she learned spending nights writing 鈥淟iving History鈥� while she was serving as New York鈥檚 senator 鈥� 鈥渜uit your day job.鈥�
This time, Clinton said she is writing 鈥渋n the peace and quiet of our farmhouse in Chappaqua.鈥�
As noted, Clinton also used the talk to promote a literary program the Clinton Foundation is sponsoring, 鈥淭oo Small To Fail,鈥� which aims to get 鈥渞eal books in the hands of low-income children.鈥�
Clinton said 60 percent of low-income families have no books in their homes, leading to a 鈥渨ord gap鈥� among kids that transforms into 鈥渁n achievement gap down the road.鈥�
A final joke, as reported by USA Today, touched on a poignant memory from Hillary Clinton as a mother.
Clinton said she often read and sung to young Chelsea at night before bed 鈥� books like 鈥淕ood Night, Moon,鈥� and 鈥淩unaway Bunny.鈥�
She would also sing to her daughter, usually 鈥淢oon River,鈥� until an 18-month-old Chelsea put her fingers on her mom鈥檚 lips one night and said, 鈥淣o sing, Mommy, no sing.鈥�
That, said Clinton, 鈥渕ade me more of a reader.鈥�
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
