TO commemorate the release of the first volume of his memoir ‘A Promised Land’, former US president Barack Obama took to Facebook to show off a playlist.
“Throughout our time in the White House, Michelle and I invited artists like Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan to conduct afternoon workshops with young people before performing an evening show in the East Room.
“And there were all sorts of performances I’ll always remember—like Beyoncé performing ‘At Last’ for our first dance at our inauguration, Paul McCartney serenading Michelle in the East Room with, ‘Michelle’ and Bob Dylan flashing me a grin before vanishing after his performance of ‘Times They Are a-Changin’,” Obama said in the posting.
The selection of music is eclectic but representative of someone of Obama’s generation, with artists ranging from the classic such as Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder, to more modern choices such as Beyonce, Eminem and Jay-Z.
‘A Promised Land’ itself is one of the most anticipated political memoirs in recent memory, following the success of Obama’s previous books ‘Dreams from My Father’ and ‘The Audacity of Hope’.
Both those books came out during what seems like a lifetime ago, before the beginning of Obama’s presidency in 2008. They helped establish his reputation as the most literary president since Abraham Lincoln.
The 768-page book is expected to match the blockbuster success of Michelle Obama’s memoir, ‘Becoming’, which was released two years ago. However, Covid-19 probably precludes the former president from carrying out an extensive book tour.
‘A Promised Land’ was released this week and is available at major bookstores. – The Vibes, November 17, 2020
