Donald Trump has been an unexpectedly generous promoter of books that criticize him. Throughout his presidency, Trump has sent cease and desist letters, used NDAs to silence White House memoirs, and even filed a $50 million lawsuit against famed journalist Bob Woodward for his audiobook, “The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump”. This lawsuit, which is unlikely to be successful, could potentially dismantle political reporting and contemporary nonfiction. This week, former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo won the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle for her works and activism on behalf of other writers.
At the same time, The Washington Post Magazine published its final issue and staff members were concerned about preserving the magazine’s legacy. Editorial aide Dani Seiss and writer David Montgomery discovered that the Library of Congress was interested in receiving back issues and the staff gathered to donate 10 boxes of magazines to the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress maintains an enormous archive of historic newspapers and the donation of The Washington Post Magazine will add to the wealth of human interest stories highlighting contemporary culture.
From Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Bob Woodward to The Washington Post Magazine’s donation to the Library of Congress, this week has been a reminder of the power of books, memoirs, and journalism to shape our understanding of history.
Source: s2.washingtonpost.com