Some gals dream of the perfect wedding, others the perfect wedge but for me, a book deal would pretty much seal the game of life. So here is the scoop, I have no idea what I’d write about — I mean, fashion tomes abound, I can’t cook for the life of me and self-help or relationships are not exactly my strong points. So, until I figure out what topic will award me a Pulitzer, all I can do is live vicariously through my friends, specially Amie Parnes, co-author of the New York Times best seller HRC.
Amie and I have been pals for more than a decade now, when my octogenarian grandmother was taking Hebrew lessons with Amie’s mom. They often talked about us, and one day, we decided to grab some dinner together. It turns out we had quite a few things in common including our high school alma mater, obsessing over style, journalism and news. Our friendship quickly blossomed and we’ve been able to keep in touch through social media, late-night meals in San Francisco or Washington D.C. and of course, checking out each other’s work.
This book chronicles the career highlights of Hillary Rodham Clinton — a woman who is frequently making headlines and breaking glass ceilings. I have the book in hand, and look forward to reading it when I have some downtime, which I know this title truly deserves.
Though I know this gal quite well, I know you are dying to find out more of this accomplished journalist and political junkie. Oh yeah and be sure to check her out regularly on MSNBC as a political pundit and enjoy my fun little Q&A below.
Ryzenberg On: What was the most fascinating fact you learned about Hillary Clinton while writing the book?
Amie: I learned a lot about Secretary Clinton, which surprised me since she’s arguably the most famous woman on earth and her life has been picked over again and again. I went into this project thinking that she was this buttoned-up, stiff woman. But she’s actually the opposite. She has a wicked sense of humor. And I’ll give you an example: when President Obama’s speechwriter Jon Favreau got into trouble for cupping her breast in a life-sized cardboard cutout a few years back and the photo was posted on Facebook, he was so humiliated and thought he’d be fired. But she left him a voicemail and said, “I haven’t seen the photo. But I hear my hair looks great.” Almost everyone has a story about her sense of humor. I was skeptical at first but I was wrong. I think she’s almost reluctant to let that side of her show publicly. But I’m sure her aides have realized that they should let more of that side show. So look for it in the future.
Oh and I also learned that she is a master at building relationships, just like her husband, former President Bill Clinton. After her primary campaign ended in 2008, she sent more than 16,000 thank you notes to supporters and aides.
Ryzenberg On: How did you become interested in political writing? How did your career evolve?
Amie: I became interested in political writing when I was an intern at the New York Times in 2000. I helped cover the presidential election recount in Florida that year and I knew that at some point I wanted to live and breathe political reporting in DC. It took awhile to get there though. I was a reporter in NY (where I covered 9/11) and in Philly (for the Inquirer) where I covered car crashes, crime and lots of human interest stories (I actually wrote about a problem a local township was having with a particular fence which was trapping and killing deer.) But a couple of years later, I found myself in what I commonly refer to as the nation’s joke factory, covering politics. That doesn’t mean that I want to do this forever. I often have dreams of doing something entirely different like covering fashion or something where people do not know what “deep background” means.
Ryzenberg On: How is the life of a writer? How do you separate your time and do time management?
Amie: I have a love/hate relationship with writing, like all writers. Sometimes, it pours out in beautiful prose and before I know it, I’m five and ten pages in. Other times, I can’t get a word to stay on the page and I reconsider all my life’s choices. When I was writing the book with my co-author Jon Allen, I often worked 20 hour days. I would work a 12 hour day at work covering the White House and come home to work on the book for the rest of the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Basically, I had no life for a year and a half with the exception of a couple of days a week when friends dragged me out to dinner or I met them at barre class. But the biggest thing I learned during this process is that there’s more time in a day than you think!
Ryzenberg On: You live in DC, which is a city known for its conservative ‘sartorialisms,’ so tell us a bit about your style?
Amie: DC style is definitely a little too conservative (read: boring) for a free-spirited, silly girl from Miami but I’ve never let that change me. I think my roots are always reflected in my wardrobe. You can usually find me in a fun dress (Trina Turk, Kate Spade, Milly, Susanna Monaco, 4collective) and very bold statement jewelry. In a nutshell my style can be whimsical, flirty and always elegant. That’s the aim, anyway.
Ryzenberg On: If I were to visit the nation’s capital, what are some local gems?
Amie: For clothes: Urban Chic in Georgetown, CUSP, Wink, and Redeem (in my neighborhood on 14th Street.)
For food/drink: Tabard Inn, Le Diplomate, The Pig and Hanks Oyster Bar.
For a good workout: go to Pure Barre DC. The instructors are the best!
Ryzenberg On: And of course, I have to ask, do you think HRC will run in 2016?
Amie: Yes. Take it to the bank.
Ryzenberg On: What’s next for you?
Amie: Well, writing the first book didn’t kill me (and we hit the NYT best seller list for a month!) so I think I’d like to do a second. You might have already guessed the topic. We wrote the first draft of HRC in 7 months. Hopefully there will be a little more time on the second go round!
Well there you have it! Be sure to pick up a copy and expect terrific things from this gal. I am so happy to call you my friend, Aimee and I look forward to celebrating many, many milestones together.
Ryzenberg On, is Signing Off
PHOTOS: Washingtonian magazine and courtesy of Amie Parnes