Speech-Less, by Matt Latimer #1
I am not the “fan-girly” type. In fact, just today I wrote about not approving of treating some people as mini-gods because of their status in life. Funny that I would write that today, when I am about to write the following: You see, it is public confession time again. My mom and I once went to a Hillary Clinton book signing, standing in line outside the bookstore all night long for a chance to meet her and get her autograph. We had already bought (and read) the book, but we didn’t care that we had to shell out money for two new ones, or that we had to stand up all night because we were book-signing rookies and didn’t have the foresight to bring lawn chairs with us. We had so much fun together, my mom and I – I will never forget that experience.
When we got to go into the room, and we saw her walk up to the table to sign, I admit that I felt, for the first time in my life, like a fan-girl. She is much prettier in person than she looks on television. She even looks friendlier in person. I was in awe. I remember feeling almost giddy with excitement, as we approached her table, and I stretched out my hand – and she took it! – and I was so excited that I got to shake her hand, because, as the wife of a U.S. president (this was before her own run at the presidency, before her stint as a Senator), her hand had connected with others all over the world. The world was smaller in that moment as, through only one degree of separation, I shook hands with leaders and followers all over the globe. We felt like we were a part of History.
Because this experience is a cherished memory, I really enjoyed reading the first chapter of Matt Latimer’s memoir about being a speechwriter for George W. Bush. He is much wittier, much funnier than I am, and I laughed, chuckled, and guffawed at his description of his attendance at a Republican National Convention in San Diego when he was a young college student. He describes himself as being shy, but his inner assertiveness was unleashed at this event, as he collected handshakes and autographs, and even managed to make national news for heckling a famous reporter (Sam Donaldson). I loved how he ran around collecting signs and momentos, referring to this as “sav[ing] for history,” something my family, and I have done from time to time.
I have wanted to read this book since I heard Matt Latimer being interviewed about it on NPR. He had me laughing in the car. Also, I have wondered about speechwriters since I used to watch The West Wing (how I miss that show) – these behind the scenes people who write the words that go down in history attributed to someone else.
Here is a sample, a taste of the first chapter. Latimer has just scored a rare autograph from Alan Keyes, a Republican presidential candidate (more than once, never a front-runner), by referring to him as “Ambassador” instead of simply calling out his name:
The rest of the autograph seekers looked at me with awe. It was my Sixteen Candles moment. I felt like Anthony Michael Hall standing triumphantly in the bathroom surrounded by his peers. Except in my case I didn’t have a pair of panties in my hands, but an autograph from Alan Keys. Sorry, Ambassador Keyes.
Other posts about Speech-less:
Post 1: Speech-less, by Matt Latimer
Post 2: I Laughed Until I Cried
Post 3: The Donald Rumsfeld is a Stand Up Guy
Post 4: I Miss President Bartlet
Post 5: Ninety-One Books in Six Months
[...] in the voting booth, because I felt as though I was betraying Hillary Clinton somehow – I have been a fan for so long. Then the ballot reader spat out my ballot, and one of the polling workers had to help [...]