*The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Michelle Obama’s bestselling memoir “Becoming,” has broken sales records — selling more than 725,000 units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada on the first day alone.
As noted by rollingout.com:
First-day sales (including pre-orders) from Penguin Random House represent the largest single-day sales total for any book published in 2018 by the book publishing company, the world’s largest trade publisher.”
Becoming was published with a first printing of 1.8 million copies of the hardcover edition. And the publisher has already gone back to press for an additional 800,000 hardcover copies, which raises the totals in the U.S. and Canada to 2.6 million.
Mrs. Obama’s #BlackGirlMagic has left some folks pressed, such as New York Post writer Maureen Callahan. She attended Obama’s first book tour stop and called the former first lady and husband Barack Obama “gurus for hire.”
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Here’s some of what she said (via rollingout.com):
“To read the worshipful press coverage you’d never know that, for Democrats, the unthinkable has happened: Michelle Obama has revealed herself as just another guru for sale.
“Lest that seem an exaggeration, note that the audience was subjected to a full hour of adulatory video packages set to female hero anthems — Katy Perry’s ‘Roar,’ Alicia Keys’ ‘Girl on Fire,’ Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger’ — depicting Michelle Obama as the American Woman Nonpareil, with testimonials from students, veterans, teachers, celebrities, late-night hosts, even her own media-shy daughters. This is a dangerous exercise in hagiographic narcissism, one too easy for the subject to believe. It’s impossible to imagine any figure on the right getting such a pass from the media, let alone praise for it.”
Callahan also slammed Obama for portraying herself as a “groundbreaking historical figure and a celebrity” and for raking in “hundreds of millions in book sales and advances, a multi-year deal with Netflix, and speaking gigs to the Wall Street bankers they once vilified, righteously decrying the abandonment of the 99 percent as they breathe ever more rarefied air.”
“Becoming” is part of a joint book deal with Barack Obama, whose memoir is expected next year, and is believed worth more than $60 million. The Obamas said they will donate a “significant portion” of their author proceeds to charity, including the Obama Foundation.
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