Prose and Politics

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In Amiens, France.

Jules Verne died on this day, March 24, in 1905. A good excuse for a post about science fiction, but I’ve “been there, done that” in 2016. So I’ll instead discuss fiction writers who were also elected to public office.

What’s that have to do with sci-fi master Verne? Well, in 1888 he was elected a councilor in the French city of Amiens, and served in that role for the next 15 years.

Then there’s John Grisham, who I read again this month…namely, his compelling novel The Broker from 2005, exactly a century after Verne’s death. Unlike Verne, Grisham held political office mostly before his writing career, serving in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990. Which would certainly help his books, many of which have a political bent in addition to their frequent legal bent.

Booth Tarkington (The Magnificent Ambersons, etc.) did one term in the Indiana House of Representatives starting in 1902 — meaning he and Verne were in office at the same time, 4,000 miles apart.

Clare Boothe Luce was elected in Connecticut to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1942 to 1946. She first became famous the previous decade as a playwright, most notably with her Broadway smash The Women.

Vaclav Havel also first rose to prominence as a playwright before becoming the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic between 1989 and 2003.

Then there were writers who tried for public office but weren’t elected. For instance, Upton Sinclair (The Jungle, etc.) ran for governor of California in 1934 on a progressive anti-poverty platform and received a very respectable 879,000 votes despite being massively smeared by wealthy right-wing interests. He wrote a book about that campaign the following year that contained this classic line: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

Gore Vidal lost campaigns for a New York congressional seat (1960) and a California U.S. Senate seat (1982). In 1969, Norman Mailer ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City.

Why do some authors seek and/or hold political office? There’s ego, of course, and the hope that they can have more impact in an elected position than through their writing. Or at least additional impact from combining the two pursuits.

Then there are people best known as politicians who have also written novels (often but not always after they leave office and sometimes with the help of co-authors or ghostwriters). Hillary Rodham Clinton co-authored State of Terror with renowned mystery writer Louise Penny, and Bill Clinton wrote The President Is Missing with author James Patterson. Other politicians going the novel route have included Jimmy Carter, Winston Churchill, and Newt Gingrich, among others.

I realize I’ve probably left out many fiction writers/elected officials, especially non-U.S. ones. Any you’d like to mention? Thoughts on this topic?

My literary-trivia book is described and can be purchased here: Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column every Thursday for Montclair Local. The latest piece — about my town’s controversial fire chief thankfully retiring, and more — is here.

133 thoughts on “Prose and Politics”

  2. Disraeli,Sybil/Two Nations, in print, in tatters, family hand me down.

    Trollope didn’t manage to get elected, but he tried, and knew quite a bit about the ‘ greasy pole’ . Reading Trollope was an excellent guide to UK politics, including scandals, century probably irrelevant.

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  4. The there’s The Mayor of Casterbridge— a novel, but no novelist.

    On a more serious note, after Louis-Phillipe took the throne, Stendhal was French consul in Citavecchia Italy, then a Papal State, for some years.

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    • Ha, jhNY! 😂 (That Thomas Hardy-created mayor definitely had a major skeleton in his closet.)

      Excellent Stendhal mention! Reminds me that Nathaniel Hawthorne was appointed United States consul in Liverpool by President Franklin Pierce; the two had been college friends, and Hawthorne wrote a puffy campaign biography of Pierce.

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  5. It’s fascinating to see the two vocations mixing, Dave,

    John Kennedy didn’t write fiction, but he was a strong supporter of the arts. During his brief time in office, he held numerous dinners at the white House where he invited artists, writers and musicians. He also had Robert Frost read a poem at his inauguration and he had invited other writers to attend. I’m not sure writers have had that kind of support from any president since.

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  6. Hi Dave, this is interesting. I know that many writers and poets have strong views about societal issues so it makes sense to me that some would try and take their convictions to a higher level by entering politics. The only South African writer I can contribute is Deneys Reitz who war a Boer hero during the Second Anglo Boer War. In his later life he was a politician. He wrote books about that war. He also fought in the First World War against Germany so, ironically, on the side of the British.

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  7. This is an interesting topic, Dave.

    The first writer that jumped to mind is Canadian writer Mordecai Richler. (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Barney’s Version.)

    He was a wildly fearless political animal who wrote many scathing political articles for press and magazines..

    When The New Yorker ran his 20,000-word assault on Quebec nationalism, he became a household name in Canada.

    I looked him up, and am surprised he never ran for office. Still, considering all his political writings and that he is an accredited novelist, I thought he might count here.

    (Hello to Misty)

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  8. thank you very much, Dave, for this interesting topic and many thanks also to your readers’ answers! Of course, we haven’t such important politiciens/writers as you have mentioned, but I would like to mention the Green Henry, a novel of self-development by the Swiss writer Gottfried Keller, who also seems to have been a politician.

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  9. An early example of poetry and politics: Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Florentine.

    Dante was a member of a guild, which allowed him to hold several political offices over time, and he eventually became city prior, which wikipedia tells me was Florence’s highest political office.

    But from there, he had a great fall, being embroiled as all Florentines were, in the Guelph and Ghibbeline wars of the period. His party, the White Guelphs, were violently toppled from power, and the city burned by the Black Guelphs.

    Dante was exiled from Florence, and never returned. In his time away from home, he wrote a little something called “The Divine Comedy”, a work of such scope, insight and erudition as to be no laughing matter.

    I have greatly simplified the story, as lately I’ve been running long on site. But for those interested, here’s a good biographical summing-up:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri

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  10. (Second try)

    Another: Horace Walpole wrote the first Gothic novel “The Castle of Otranto” while serving as MP for King’s Lynn. (His father, Robert, was Great Britain’s first prime minister.)

    FYI: Churchill wrote a work of fiction at the turn of the 20th century. 

    “Savrola: A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania” is the only major fictional work of Winston S. Churchill. The story describes events in the capital of Laurania, a fictional European state, as unrest against the dictatorial government of president Antonio Molara turns to violent revolution.

    Churchill began writing the novel on his voyage from Britain to India to take part in the Malakand campaign in August 1897. Churchill was on leave from his posting with the army in India when he had news of fighting in Malakand, and immediately arranged to return. The book was started before, and completed after, writing The Story of the Malakand Field Force about his experiences there. He wrote to his brother in May 1898 that the book had been completed. The working title for the book was Affairs of State. It was initially published as a serialisation in Macmillan’s Magazine between May and December 1898, and was then published as a book in February 1900.”[1]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savrola

    A quick skim of his books in published order reveals Churchill to have been a most active writer– well before WW2– and well before WW1.

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  11. Howdy, Dave!

    My last comment, a reply to lindhurstlaura concerning Walpole and mostly Churchill, has been “awaiting moderation” since yesterday afternoon.

    Any help?

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      • Unfortunately, not there. 😦 Not sure what happened. Do you want to try again? I’ve set my blog from the beginning to not have any commenter await moderation, so it’s puzzling that you got that message. Again, sorry.

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        • Success! though now it stands as comment and not as reply. My original is still ‘awaiting moderation’– don’t know how to remove it, but I’m guessing that message is for me, and isn’t in anyone’s way.

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          • Glad the comment made it but sorry it’s in the wrong place, jhNY. Hopefully, Laura will still see it. The original comment seems to have unfortunately disappeared into the ether, so, yes, I don’t think it will get in anyone’s way.

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  13. Hello, Dave. Lots of food for thought in your post and the comments! I wanted to add Stacey Abrams to your list. She was a member of the Geogia House of Representatives and ran for governor of Georgia in 2018. Sadly, she lost. She has also written two thrillers: While Justice Sleeps and Rogue Justice.

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    • Thank you! Stacey Abrams is a great example! I knew of her elected office-holding and writing, but had forgotten when writing this post. She’s a very talented, hardworking person who could have been Georgia’s governor with a little less societal racism, a little less societal sexism, and fewer shenanigans by her Republican opponent.

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  14. I keep thinking there must be some Canadian politicians who have written books other than memoirs, but my quick searches haven’t found them. Nor Canadian authors who were also involved in politics. Maybe someone else can think of some?

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    • Okay, a more creative search came up with Michael Ignatieff, who was a member of Canada’s Parliament and leader of the Liberal Party from 2008-2011. Apparently he wrote three novels. I have never read them, obviously, and know nothing about them beyond what the Wikipedia article says. Dr. Ignatieff is known more as an academic than a novelist, I think.

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  16. Geez, politics bores the heck outta me, although I must say those books created by writers/politicians mentioned by fellow followers of your blog seem intriguing. I really don’t have anyone book or person to add just an observation: I think I’d rather have an author involved in politics than a Hollywood B actor and/or most definitely a reality TV star. Susi

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    • Thank you, Susi! I agree that some of politics is boring, even as too much of it is more exciting (often disturbingly so) than we would like.

      And, yes, better an author as a politician than someone like Reagan or Trump — who I’m guessing are the Hollywood B actor and reality TV star you were referencing.

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      • Was my reference that transparent? Ha. When I was young I was quite involved in politics. I was a member of Texas Council on Family Violence and a victim advocate for a women’s shelter as well as a member of a peace coalition. In addition, I volunteered with my local Municipal Court doing conflict resolution with teens who had violated certain rules, ie fighting on the school bus and the like. Being an activist was rewarding yet I eventually became weary of it. By that time, I was thoroughly done, like stick me with a fork done. Susi

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        • Nothing wrong with transparent references, Susi. 🙂

          Your wide variety of activism in your younger years was very impressive! Great and important work. But, yes, one can eventually get burned out with that. I’m certainly less of an activist than I used to be.

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          • Thanks Dave. Activism is, most definitely, a young person’s game. I think I over extended myself then, and burnt out far too soon. Yet I have hopes re: today’s youth. As Biden observed in his SOTU speech, “it isn’t how old we are…it’s how old our ideas are.” Susi

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            • A young person’s game indeed, Susi. My “activism” now is more online (through my local humor column and other things) than in person. And I share your hopes re today’s impressive youth. 🙂

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  17. Vaclav Havel, the first President of the Czech Republic, was a playwright, Mario Vargas Llosa ran unsuccessfully for President of Peru in 1990.       

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  19. I think “The Magnificent Ambersons” was Orsen Welles” film after Citizen Kane. Thought provoking topic. I wonder if any fiction writers who were elected to public office wrote under a psydoneum. A different take but historian Doris Kearns Goodwin worked with LBJ ,perhaps had an affair, she wrote on her time with LBJ but also books on baseball and a recent book about her life with her late husband who was in LBJ administration, wrote speeches,famous quotes attributed to LBJ. Saw on CBS with Jane Pauley this am.

    Michele, E&P way back..

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    • Thank you, Michele! I think you’re right about that Orson Welles film order. I definitely liked “The Magnificent Ambersons” book a lot more than the movie, though the latter was quite good (albeit chopped up by the studio, from what I read).

      The pseudonym thing? Definitely possible.

      And, from your description, Doris Kearns Goodwin clearly had close ties with LBJ and his administration!

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  20. Dave – this is a very interesting post that reminds me that we have many careers during our lifetimes, but I digress…

    The first name that came to mind was Abraham Lincoln!!!

    With all that is written about Abraham Lincoln, I would have never guessed that he was a true crime writer. He knew how to split rails and could handle a riverboat. He wrote poetry and was a notable lawyer before he ever set he sites on presidency. But a crime writer? It all began in 1841, when Lincoln defended William Trailor in a murder trial that captivated the courtroom. Following the trial, he published a short story based on the case, slightly dramatized to align with true crime genre standards while staying true to the case’s facts. The name of the short story was “The Trailor Murder Mystery”

    Another great post – looking forward to the follow-up discussion.

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  21. Quite a revelation for me, Dave. Without a doubt, their political background would’ve added authenticity to their storytelling. American-born Janet Jagan (Rosenberg), wife of Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the first female Executive President of Guyana (1997-1999), enjoyed writing children stories and published several children books.

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    • Thank you, Rosaliene! I remember you writing so interestingly about Janet Jagan (Rosenberg) in your blog. Wonderful that her career included being an author in addition to being a pioneering elected official in Guyana!

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  22. I’m reminded of what may be the best debate line ever uttered by either George H. W. Bush or his son W. When W was debating Al Gore, he pointed out that Gore had written a book — maybe more than one. Then W added this: “And I read one once.” Maybe such false modesty (he had much about which to be modest) helped him get elected.

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  25. Another excellent topic that exercises the little grey cells, Dave. I can think of Matthew ‘Monk’ Lewis, so-called on account of the scandalous gothic novel ‘The Monk’ he wrote when aged 19. He was educated to follow his father into the diplomatic service, which he did, and also entered politics later. He seems to have preferred writing, but needed money to help support his mother, who was separated from his father. Then there’s Benjamin Disraeli, who was writing novels long before he entered politics. On the other side of the coin–politicians who began writing only after their political careers were over (or almost)–we have Winston Churchill, Edwina Currie, Jeffrey Archer (who also did time in jail) to name but a few. My favourite of those is Michael Dobbs, who I mentioned recently for his ‘House of Cards’, which was made into a successful series by the BBC. I’m sure I could find more, but I’d best leave a few for others. Thanks for another stimulating post. 🙂

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