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Palin Editor's Double Life
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The Daily Beast has learned that a top HarperCollins editor who worked on Sarah Palin's new memoir helped write another book about her: sophomoric send-up Terminatrix.
Sarah Palin might have a bone to pick with Adam Bellow, the veteran HarperCollins editor who toiled on her blockbuster autobiography, which is already a bestseller in advance of its Nov. 17 release.
Last October, at the height of Palin’s memorable vice-presidential run, Bellow was the anonymous co-author of a quickie paperback satire of the then-governor of Alaska.
Terminatrix: The Sarah Palin Chronicles—which has a cover featuring a Photoshopped governor in skin-tight leather and brandishing an automatic weapon—is a sophomoric send-up of Palin and her family, featuring digitally altered images and derisive captions, and packaged in a 5-by-7-inch, 96-page trade paperback. A representative gag: Palin’s face superimposed on a painting of Joan of Arc, with the mocking commentary: “In between junior high and high school, Sarah heard God's call to save France.”
Another doctored photo—with the caption "Sarah Palin won the Miss Wasilla Pageant in 1984, while in college"—has her head grafted onto a dog's body, with a blue ribbon hanging from her neck. In yet another, she's wearing a white butcher's coat and standing in front of animal carcasses hanging from hooks in a meat locker. "This is our walk-in fridge at home. It isn't easy killing enough game to feed a family of seven. Half of these critters are protected species!" In short, Terminatrix portrays Palin as every blue-blooded Manhattanite's flyover nightmare.
A representative Terminatrix gag: Palin’s face superimposed on a painting of Joan of Arc, with the mocking commentary: “In between junior high and high school, Sarah heard God's call to save France.”
The famously elusive Palin, who was paid an undisclosed multimillion dollar advance for Going Rogue: An American Life, could not be reached. My guess is that, like Queen Victoria, she will not be amused.
Twenty thousand copies of Terminatrix were shipped by the now-defunct Collins Books, a HarperCollins imprint for which Bellow worked as executive editor. The book carries the humorous credit line, “Compiled by the Editors of the Wasilla Iron Dog Gazette.”
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“Sarah Palin won the Miss Wasilla Pageant in 1984, while college.”—image and caption from Terminatrix: The Sarah Palin Chronicles.
Informed sources tell me that the mysterious Wasilla compilers are actually the fortysomething Bellow, son of the late Nobel Prize-winning novelist Saul Bellow, and his former HarperCollins colleague Bruce Nichols, who today is editor-in-chief of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
A Publishers Weekly item last fall quoted Nichols as describing a feverish, weeklong process from “brainstorming meeting” to “going full blast,” and cheekily identified Bellow and Nichols as “speaking on behalf of the authors.”
But when I reached Bellow at HarperCollins Wednesday afternoon, he wasn’t much interested in speaking on behalf of anybody.
“You’re kidding, right?” the editor said with a nervous giggle when I asked if his famous author was aware of his extracurricular activities. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk to the press about this. You’re going to have to talk to our publicity director.”
HarperCollins PR honcho Tina Andreadis was equally enigmatic: “Publishers publish a wide range of books on a wide variety of topics. We are thrilled to be publishing Governor Palin's book."
Nichols, meanwhile, archly advised: “The authorship of The Sarah Palin Chronicles has never been publicly disclosed. The editors of the Wasilla Iron Dog Gazette have not been revealed. I cannot comment on their behalf.” Nichols added with a laugh: “Try Adam.”
Palin’s literary agent, high-powered Washington attorney Robert Barnett, offered a terse “no comment” and Lee Hough, the Colorado Springs-based agent who represents Palin’s collaborator on the biography, Lynn Vincent, emailed me : “Lynn is under a very strick [sic] confidentiality agreement and cannot engage on this. Sorry about that.”
Neither Bellow nor Nichols were persuaded by arguments that they should publicly take credit for the Palin satire and hitch their wagon to her star: After all, today’s Amazon.com ranking for Going Rogue is No. 2. And Terminatrix is in the rankings' abyss at No. 273,139.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for The Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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xlntcat
Since they are already giving Palin's book away, it is disengenuous to call it a best seller.
spotted
Wow! It hasn't even gone to press and Amazon has it discounted 46%. It'll be remaindered before Halloween.
Someone at Amazon has a sense of humor:
"Buy Going Rogue: An American Life and get Catastrophe at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price."
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Rogue-American-Sarah-Palin/dp/0061939897
numonk
I just spit beer out of my nose reading this.
Thanks ass, this computer costs more than I can afford to fix.
I'm reading George Will columns from here out.
sippewissett
I thought you were kidding, but Amazon really is bundling the two books together. Sometimes you can't make this stuff up.
Volkai
Unfortunately the large discount is an indication of the high volume of books they expect to sell, not a sign that it won't sell.
This is the sort of thing where having conservative 'wingnut' friends can help - you can read their copy without buying it. (Some bookstores with cafes in the store might not care if you read it there, too.)
teufelpiet
Amazon discounts almost every title by 30% from the start; 40% is not uncommon. Everybody - well, Amazon, Sarah, and the publisher - makes money at this price. The only ones to suffer are (1) the mortar-and-brick bookstores who would sell it at list and (2) the poor schmucks who buy it thinking they are going to get some insight into the workings of Ms Palin's mind - they won't
johnwr3
Ridicule, denigrate, minimize and criticize. I know liberals can't help themselves when they attack others but if you only knew how much good you do for the opposing viewpoint by coming across so superior and cocky. Americans hate arrogance and condescending attitudes much more than you may think. For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for you. 2010
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n--Y--turnipjarussell
Where in this article does it do any of those things? Did you read it or are you a typical hysterical right wingnut who happens to be paranoid?
DanKenton
Yes John, Americans do hate arrogance and condescending attitudes which is why they showed GWB and Karl Rove along with the rest of the GOP the door last November. Most Americans also don't like their elected officials claiming moral and spiritual superiority while leading lives one could hardly call virtuous, i.e. C-Street buddies or "bomb the crap out of so and so because God said so".
The fact that so-called conservatives back Palin is just another example of "christian creep" whereby they'll follow any dumb mutt to the river so long as they're singing Sunday-school songs. 2010 won't help you out of that.
Snertly
Tolerating the intolerant is how to take it to the next level.
sippewissett
We don't attack "others" in some generalized, amorphous way. We attack nitwits and scoundrels and worse. Happily Palin is a bundle of all three -- and we don't want her in public office EVER. Let her make millions by duping her "base" but don't let that well-named "rogue" back in politics.
Caradog
"Superior and cocky" pretty much defines Sara Palin on the campaign trail. Baked Alaska.
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n--Y--PortmanteauRawhideRex
johnwr3....
Typical robotic verbal vomit whenever you THINK someone is criticizing dear Mrs Palin while the right STILL enjoys being just as venomous towards the left.
This was one of the more tamer articles about Palin. Still though, if you want some civility towards people you like and support...perhaps you should ask THEM to practice what YOU are preaching. People attack Palin not because she is woman...but because if you look back on history.. SHE jumped on the hate filled speech brigade first...and now it has backfired.
JohnnyA
Johnny Boy! This ain't the the pinko, wine-swilling, surrender monkeys making fun of the pinnacle of Republican Superiority.
This is an entrepreneurial business trying to move product.
To make a buck.
In any way possible.
On an Edsel.
donatello
You just can't hide the sneer and her facial expression says it all. Sorry, John but the superior/cocky label stares back from her photo.
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n--Y--Portmanteaufred88
Where are they giving it away?
Carole65
Maybe the same place the publisher of Kennedy's gave their books away
sippewissett
And where is that, exactly?
DocHumboldt
Turn right at the dead moose and follow the smell...
Llplo99
Subscribe to newsmax.com and get a copy.
http://w3.newsmax.com/a/sarahbook/?PROMO_CODE=8B58-1
fred88
This was probably leaked by Adam Bellow himself to make a buck...
Granite
I'm going to buy one for everyone on my Christmas list!
I'll buy Sarah Palin's book too--after Christmas, at Dollar Tree.
captbeefpart
Look in the 50% off rack
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n--Y--PortmanteauNorCalGladiator
When are we lefties and you righties going to just accept that namecalling is a given. I don't like you. You don't like me. As much as we say we're adults, when it comes to politics, we are going to act like elementary schoolers.
"She started it" or "I never said anything bad" is a stupid thing to say. What does it matter who said it first, it doesn't justify dropping to that level. And to those who say we never say anything bad about the right is on crack. I can't count the times we bashed Bush because he absolutely deserved it. And in my eyes, Palin deserves it too.
I don't expect the righties to love Obama, if i held the same values I wouldn't either. I try not to make the assumption that if someone doesn't like Obama, then he/she must be DVRing Becks show every night and waking up to Rush. But if I do, so be it. I don't expect righties to not think I DVR Olberman everynight (I don't I think he's boring as ----, but I do love Stewart and Colbert).
America is shifting to the right and to the left. Welcome to it.
ps. count another point for the left team. congrats on the nobel peace prize Obama, regardless if he hasn't had much physical results of his work towards changing the attitudes of america the rest of the world has. I know he hasnt created much peace, but in a long time no one in the world has tried to take the steps he has towards nuclear proliferation or bringing about peace on the gaza strip or trying diplomacy to those countries that have a deep seated hate for us. So congratulations
Cashmoney
Good post.
I agree 100%.
I hate the Repubs/rightwingers and take for granted that they hate me.
So the name-calling is just a cost of doing business. No point in getting upset by it.
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n--Y--PortmanteauThinkAgain
Ah, the peace loving liberals are flogging away again. You love the community, but spewing hate and ridicule at individuals is just good sport.
BasPos
It's not hate. It's disgust, disbelief, disdain,
As for sport, we don't torture dumb animals.
oldpunk
we don't torture dumb animals. We just read their books
roadhunter
As a hunter, I resent the "torturing dumb animals" comment. More than that, I resent Palin being considered representative of hunters in any form.
Also, every time I see her face, I can't help but picture my ____ in her mouth. Looks are what got her the VP nomination, and looks are the only reason her photo is appearing in the press so much. She is less than a nobody. Just ask Republican governors. They refuse to let her campaign for them.
dlc1550
for johnwr3
I take it you haven't looked in the mirror lately.
NEWT1942
Sarah Palin is profoundly stupid and ignorant!!
If you don't believe this, listen to her speak for a minute or two, she will prove it to you!!
oldpunk
I am looking forward to reading it when it is translated in to English.
amanda07070
Good one! (or two)
unclelew
Do you realize that when Rogue comes out it will be first book Palin has ever read ... well, unless she quits halfway through
attilathehunny
I think liberals problems with Palin have to do with the fact that she utterly repudiates their feminist platform. She is a woman, who worked her way up to be Governor with no help, no affirmative action. Just simply start at the PTA level and move on. Whether you agree with her or not, she has accomplished a great deal. She also stay married to her high school sweetheart, raised a family which includes a special needs son...oh and again was Governor. Yes, her daughter got pregnant, but I would never denigrate a parent for that. As a conservative catholic mom here in Los Angeles with a teenage daughter, can i only say i hope i am never in that position! Therefore i will not judge. What the left hates is that she chose to stand by her values, faith and conviction and have the child. I suppose if she had divorced her husband, let her daughter have an abortion and was a single mother with a special needs child and governor than she would be ok.
roadhunter
You disgust me. Yes, Palin made it to become Governor as a woman, with a lot of luck. That's nothing against her...lots of men have made it with luck as well.
You fail to mention her daughter's first child, which Sarah claimed as her own. If this is not the case, and it she really did give birth to that child, no woman on this earth should have any respect for what she put that fetus through in order to get back to her podunk village to give birth.
As a Catholic, I hope you never get in that position as well. Would both you and your daughter burn in hell for all eternity, or just your daughter? If it's any consolation, there is no such thing as hell. I guess, just in case, you could always recant on your deathbed and have a priest absolve you.
attilathehunny
wow we are not too filled with hatred are we? So sorry I disgust you. The difference between you and me is the vitriol that spews from your mouth would never come out of mine! Have a wonderful weekend.
PatriceFitz
I too think it's stunning what Palin went through (and put her potential child through) to give birth in Alaska, but that's an Alaska thing -- they have to be born there, apparently.
And the fact that people who think sex out of wedlock is a sin, (and using contraceptives a sin, thus only abstinence is taught to teens) not being in any way ashamed of the babies their children produce is hard to understand. *I* don't think they should be ashamed... but I'm not the one saying that good kids will never have sex. *They're* the ones who find it so shocking.
suzannewynn
attilathehunny-are you for real? She has no morals or ethics she lies and she left the alaskans to make millions. That is not virtue or doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do and she had plenty of help to get where she is today don't fool yourself. She did not do it on her own what a joke! But for a woman to spew the christian rhetoric she does her daughter getting pregnant at 17 is a disgrace and she is a horrible mother for not protecting her daughter! I am a mother that will protect my daughter including protect her from some roge penis that she will not be able to say no too! So I will protect her so she is not raising a baby at 17! And by the way she says government should not tell us what to do but she would do anything to outlaw abortion what is that? That is big government telling the people what to do! She scares the s&^%%t out of me and I can not wait for her to finally fall off the face of the planet. It won't be long b/c even the GOP does not want her help and she can't get anymore speaking gigs b/c she makes no sense when she opnes her mouth not to mention she has no experience to speak of except as John McCains running mate. You know in China they walked out on her speech b/c she is an idiot.
artsyfartsy
It amazes me that no matter how many times we tell you righties why we don't like Palin, you ignore it and make up your reasons. How does she repudiate our feminist platform? We don't want unqualified women to get jobs they don't deserve.
She was very lucky in her win for Governor (helped with a lot of knives in the back) and pro-life money. She was in the right place at the right time and then quit.
So what if she stayed with her family. Big deal. Lots of people stay with their husbands and have children and have jobs. That's not heroic, it's life.
Her ridiculous stand on sex education and abstinence is proven more ridiculous because she and her daughter got pregnant out of wedlock. I think it's great that she CHOSE to do what she wanted. That she doesn't want people with other values to CHOOSE is what we find horrible. We don't care that she had the baby - that was her CHOICE. Do you see the pattern? We don't care if your kid gets pregnant, it happens, it wouldn't happen so much if kids were educated about sex and birth control. It's the hypocrisy we can't stand. Are you so generous to non white, non middle class teenage drug addicts? Just asking.
Both of her oldest children have drug problems and Bristol hasn't graduated from high school. That makes her a bad parent.
Why do you people always insist if you're liberal you don't care about families. We care about families - that's why we want health care reform and good schools and higher education and good paying jobs and equality.
So try reading our reasons for not liking her instead of thinking about it.
PatriceFitz
Excellent post.
shellyruch
I am just amazed that there are so many people that somehow feel Threatened by Sara Palin ..... I find it funny that the left wingers and the Idiots of this world have to make her look bad to make themselves look good...... but here is a Secret ...... Clean your own house before you start trying to straighten someone else's..... Maybe if you focus less oh her I don't know you might be able to Focus on Acorn, and the Lie's you feel you need to tell to get your hidden Agenda's thru.......
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n--Y--Portmanteaucheckthefax
sippewissett and spotted, maybe if you ordered and read more books, you would get your facts right. Amazon typically bundles books and typically shows a reduced price. It is at #2 despite currently only being available for pre-order. Maybe you should let the truth get in the way of your petty and childish hatred.
bassinapple
Mrs. Palin talked about the media "Making things up". This story is what she was talking about. Condi Nast has a long history of doing just that.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/03/palin-rips-maga.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/09/20/2009-09-20_palin_scr ubs_scribe_dinner.html
No evidence that Sarah disqualified this guy was ever offered. This story belongs right there with the Trig Birthers.
martini
The villification of Sara Palin is about to take a wider crucifixtion, and history is once again the standard to examine without illusions. It will march over the "bodies" of those who filed the truth, and those who did not fight to secure a berth for Justice's sake.
Here's a short quote from the most wicked meister of propaganda himself: "Everybody does and leaves undone what he pleases, BECAUSE THERE'S NO STRONG AUTHORITY ANYWHERE. The Party goes on its own way and won't have anybody interfere." --Dr. Joseph Goebbels, March 1, 1943--
The day after Krystalnacht, November 10, 1938, when Jewish shops and synagogues were burnt to the ground and/or looted in Germany, in the Throne Room of the Leopold Palace, Dr. Goebbels, Head of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, appeared at a press conference. At previous conferences there had been ample time to ask questions, but this one was decidedly different. Journalists stood as he entered the room because no seats were available. Brevity was the motion, even in Goebbels' quick, nervous steps.
Goebbels declared to the semicircle of journalists "all the accounts that have come to your ears about alleged looting and destruction of Jewish property are a stinking lie ("sind erstunken und erlogen") Not a hair of a Jew was disturbed." ("den Juden ist kein Haar gekruemmt worden")
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE in the decisively harsh treatment of the Palin story here by our CURRENT PRESS than the vicious and disgusting lies of Goebbels about Krystalnacht. This is news meant to SERVE PARALYZING PROPAGANDA PURPOSES, namely to destroy an innocent human, a person of beliefs, and like the German Jews, righteous citizens all. Otherwise, the same vindictive cable television will one day be showing CONSERVATIVES hanging from ropes in squares, just as the Nazis photographed Russian, French and Polish underground non-pacifist resistors hung during World War II's total war. The same networks that ernestly convince themselves of their rightous path to harm and degrade Palin, may one day treat lower-echelon conservatives next as "fodder" matter, fit only "for political prisoners-of-war". We can't allow Palin to be crucified by this Obamian Nazi media frenzy which exists unrefrained, uninterrupted, and undefendable by our headless legislators in Congress who march to Obama's false myth.
Like Obama in addressing ACORN last week with silence and farsical counterpoints, Dr. Goebbels at this press meeting retreated after his 2-minute opening statement. Goebbels had used a moment of utter disbelief in the journalists there (who knew the truth about Krystalnacht) "to eliminate any possibility of our asking him embarassing questions."
HOW MUCH SO LIKE THIS HAS BEEN THE PRESS CONFERENCES WE'VE SEEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE SINCE THE SHOCK OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT HAS ARISEN?
The Nazis the previous night (all those journalists knew in the Leopold Room) had already known that eyewitness acounts were sent by wire of burning synagogues, demolished show windows (like the famous department store: Wertheim's), beaten Jews, and Nazi gangsters moving through the streets and shouting: "JUDA VERRECKE!" (Croak the Jews)
AT LEAST THE JOURNALISTS BACK THEN WERE TRUTHFUL -- they risked Hitler's wrath to report human outrages.
But the current network slime in our nation today would rather (*and this is next, if not something worse) BURN Palin in effigy.
Let's be honest with ourselves. Can we sit back as Conservatives and no longer play ostrich?
Sara Palin has become the poster child of the Nazi Jew, and the year 2009 is 1938. History never cheats the present mood with a ripe apple's analogy. We should never have allowed this to be carried this far! The old inclination of the Nazis and socialist-Stalinests keeps reappearing because they have a gigantic apparatus which we conservatives (as yet) are now unable to control. Will there be just one Republican Senator or Congressman or woman who puts a stop to this "Goebbels' Propaganda Extermination"?
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