Daily Archives: October 30, 2024

Column: Heeere’s Johnny Carson, brought to you in a book by Bill Zehme and Mike Thomas

If there are ghosts, the ghost of writer Bill Zehme might be found within the Old Town tavern/restaurant Twin Anchors, where he spent many living days and nights and where his face still stares from photos on the walls and where one recent night his friend Mike Thomas was saying, “I miss Bill.”When Zehme died on March 26, 2023, he left behind broken hearts and an unfinished book that had bedeviled him for the last two decades of his 64-year life. It was a book about Johnny Carson, the late-night television host of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” for nearly 30 years, until bowing out in 1992. When Zehme died, a New York Times critic referred to the book as “one of the great unfinished biographies.”Well, it’s finished now.“And here it is,” Thomas said, handing me “Carson the Magnificent,” 300-some pages of insights and showbiz stories, bold-faced names and long forgotten stars, 20 photos, sparkling writing and just-the-facts prose.We both knew that this book is the result of Zehme’s “lifelong fascination” with Carson and that it took firm root in Esquire magazine’s June 2002 issue with a story Zehme wrote about Carson, who had granted the writer the only interview he conducted after retiring. In the wake of Carson’s 2005 death, Zehme signed a book deal and began work, never imagining how much that would entail, though he was by then the author of lengthy magazine articles and some books about such complicated types as David Letterman, Jay Leno, Regis Philbin, Andy Kaufman, Tom Hanks, Hugh Hefner, Howard Stern, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Cindy Crawford, Rod Stewart, Johnny Depp… and more. He wrote about an especially massive and elusive star in his best-selling 1997 book, “The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’.”But Carson was driving him crazy and in 2013 he told me, “I am trapped in what I call ‘Johnny World,’ where one thing will lead to another, one person to another.”Then came some good news (a renewed book contract and planned television miniseries) followed shortly by some very bad news (a diagnosis of stage four colorectal cancer, which he would battle with courage and optimism, in the loving care of his partner, actress Jennifer Engstrom, until his death).Shortly afterward, Thomas was contacted by Jonathan Karp, the president, publisher and CEO of Simon & Schuster who “would not let this book die,” and with the further encouragement of Zehme’s sister Betsy Archer and Zehme’s daughter from a long-ago marriage, Lucy Reeves, Thomas began to finish what Zehme started.“He had wrapped up about the first three-quarters of the book and had done so, so much of the groundwork for the rest,” he says. “There was a lot of material to sift through and a few follow-up interviews, but Bill had been his meticulous self.”He is understandably proud of this book. His name is on the cover along with (though smaller than) Zehme’s. In the book, he calls himself Zehme’s “first-ever research assistant” and details their lengthy working relationship, friendship and this final chapter that has kept him “connected to a close pal with whom I can no longer communicate in any traditional sense.”Twin Anchors is where they first met in 1996, Thomas a young college grad and Zehme an established and successful freelance writer. They would form a professional relationship, with Thomas assisting with Zehme’s book projects. Thomas would later work as a writer for more than a decade at the Sun-Times and then start writing for Chicago magazine and other outlets. He published two books, one about The Second City and a biography of Phil Hartman. He lives a short walk away, in the home he and his wife raised two daughters.Sitting in Twin Anchors, he echoes words he wrote in the book’s prologue, “I’ve never lost sight of the fact that, despite my contributions, this is Bill’s book.”Yes it is, and it is in the prologue and epilogue that one can easily discern Thomas’ hand. Most of the rest of the book crackles with Zehme’s distinctively stylish writing, easy to admire and all but impossible to imitate.For one small instance: “Through seven presidential administrations, his edgy rasp has essayed the perfect pitch of national incredulity, always with subtle phrasing and precise shading.”Hundreds of people were interviewed for the book and hundreds of other sources were used, from newspaper articles to “Tonight Show” transcripts, as well as Zehme’s personal interactions with Carson, his friends, colleagues and one very talkative ex-wife. It is woven together not in chronological order but in a surprisingly compelling, time-traveling manner.Writer Bill Zehme in 2016 with some of his Johnny Carson memorabilia. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)Thomas neatly details Zehme’s relationship with Carson. And Zehme does not shy away from some of the darker aspects of Carson’s life. But this is no salacious romp. Yes, Carson was a nasty and sometimes violent drunk; Zehme had stopped drinking for the last 20 years of his life. Yes, his first three marriages (or four) were peppered with infidelities. We get to meet the kid magician, the Navy man, the game show host … the whole career path, on and off screen.You will discover why Ed McMahon wore a suit on air. You will see Carson as a remote father, reflecting the icy emotional relationships his parents, Ruth and Homer, offered to him. We learn why he did not attend either parents’ funeral or that of his son, killed in a traffic accident.But one should not come to this book looking for the sort of nastiness or rumors that pepper many so-called “celebrity” biographies. During it all, Zehme and Thomas are aware that they are tackling an “oversize life … (that) transcended ordinary fame, no matter how ordinary he wished to be seen.”He did too, once offering as the reason for his towering success this laughable simplicity, “Be yourself and tell the truth.” You will learn that some 50 million people tuned into Carson’s final show but you will also know that there is a full generation and more that have little idea of Carson’s stature. As writer Bill Carter recently put it, “One could make an argument — a very strong argument — that Johnny Carson was the greatest star in television history.”Zehme did know him, idolized him too. And he meets many friends, one of whom, Carl Reiner told Zehme, “(John) is the only man who has retired from this business and actually meant it.”Elsewhere in this terrific book, Zehme writes of Carson in retirement, “During these years of increasing invisibility, I would impossibly find myself in the warm and relaxed presence of J.W. Carson” and he tells us about some of those times and, believe me, it’s worth it.It’s worth it because he is able to give us a line written by comic Fred Allen in a memoir: “All that the comedian has to show for his years of work and aggravation is the echo of forgotten laughter.”Zehme writes, “That… sentence was one that Carson loved quoting to his ‘Tonight Show’ writers during his last couple of years on the air. … It was somber pragmatism, of course — essential, unforgiving, stark, humbling. … He would continue to cheerfully throw the phrase around quite a lot during his retirement years, too, even as the echoes of what he’s constantly inspired — those incalculable, now ancient tides of laughter — keep on fading further from his own otherwise acute memory.“That fading then, you see, never bothered him much at all.”[email protected]

Jodi Picoult Says ‘Books Are On The Ballot’ After Her Book Nineteen Minutes Was the Most-Banned Book Last Year

Jodi Picoult is voting for books this election season.
The bestselling author teamed up with PEN America, a nonprofit organization championing writers and books, to encourage readers to consider what’s at stake for books on election day.

In an Instagram Reel shared on Oct. 28, Picoult, 58, says that her 2008 novel, Nineteen Minutes was the most banned book during the 2023-2024 school year, in 98 school districts across the country. The book is about a school shooting, which Picoult notes is “something that our kids, unfortunately, do not need a book to learn about.”

“In fact, hundreds of students have told me Nineteen Minutes stopped them from committing a school shooting or showed them they were not alone in feeling isolated,” she continues. “The book did not harm them. It gave them tools to deal with an increasingly divided and different world.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

“That’s what books do,” Picoult notes, in the video. “They help kids see themselves in a different way. They help kids see the world in a different way.”

The author explains that the reason the book is usually banned is because of a “date rape scene” and because it uses “anatomically correct words for the human body.”

“It is not a gratuitous scene,” Picoult says. “It is not salacious. Yet it has been challenged as porn.”

Book banners have used porn “as an excuse for banning more than 10,000 books in public schools in the last school year,” she continues, pointing out that many of these books are written by BIPOC and LGTBQ+ authors.

Jodi Picoult in 2023.
Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty

“And spoiler alert: they’re not porn,” Picoult adds, before explaining that laws have been passed in states across the U.S. that have made it increasingly easy to ban books.”We know from history that a way you control a nation is by controlling what its citizens read,” Picoult adds, telling followers that she’s “voting for books” this November.

‘Nineteen Minutes’.
Atria/Emily Bestler Books

According to the American Library Association, from 2022 to 2023 there was a 65 percent surge in titles targeted by censorship with over 4,000 titles listed for removal from school districts and libraries.

Nineteen Minutes, as Picoult explained in her post, centers around a school shooting. “Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens — until the day its complacency is shattered by a school shooting,” a synopsis of the book reads.

“Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened before her very own eyes — or can she?”

“As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show — destroying the closest of friendships and families,” the summary concludes.

Nashville native, BA alumna releases first book this week

Abby Thompson, a native of Nashville, as well as an alumna of Brentwood Academy and the University of Kentucky, is set to release her first debut book with Olympia Publishers this Friday, Nov. 1, titled “Growing.”
The book incapsulates the complexities of growing up in today’s ever-changing culture, offering a unique perspective from a Nashville-raised kid chasing her dreams. 

Here are 5 book recommendations for Halloween season

It’s Halloween week — you might be looking for some new creepy recommendations.

Here are five spooky books you should read this week:

“Long Bright River” by Liz Moore

This is a heart-wrenching tale of family in the throes of addition, corruption in law enforcement and perseverance in the face of classism, a book that I know will stay in my mind for a long time.

The Good Morning America Book Club pick for September, I read this for a recent book club at my alma mater, Penn State. I gave “Long Bright River” five stars on Goodreads because of how impactful this story was.

If you’re looking for a murder mystery that is even more impactful than a typical novel, this book is for you. It’s marketed as a murder mystery, and yes, it is a murder mystery — but it’s so much more than that. I would classify this as literary suspense, which many reviewers have agreed with on Goodreads.

“The Ex Hex” by Erin Sterling

I was honestly obsessed with this book. It’s rare that I read a romance book these days that I actually like and isn’t super cheesy.

Yes, this was cheesy, but it’s the perfect witchy tale if you’re looking for a fun and easy read. The story follows Vivienne Jones, who accidentally cursed her former boyfriend, Rhys Penhallow, and their journey to save the local town of Graves Glen.

I gave it five stars on Goodreads because it gives great Halloween vibes.

“My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Family loyalty was central in this book — to a fault, as it’s about exactly what the title implies. The banter was top-tier, and I loved learning more about Nigerian culture. I highly recommend this, as it’s a short read but also chilling.

“She needs me more than I need untainted hands,” was my favorite quote.

I gave it four stars on Goodreads because I found myself wanting more at the end. While I believe the short chapters made the book more engaging, I felt that I was left with a few unanswered questions.

“The Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley

Though I only gave this one three stars on Goodreads, I would still recommend it for those who really enjoy creepy books.

“The Midnight Feast” is reminiscent of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, but with terrifying plot twists in lieu of comedy.

My main issue was that I wanted more exploration of everyone’s motives at the end of the story.

“The Boyfriend” by Freida McFadden

And finally, I wanted to include a book I just started reading in case anyone wants to read alongside me this week. I’ve heard many good things about Freida McFadden, so I’m excited to get into it. I haven’t read any of McFadden’s books before.

This one is a psychological thriller, so it’s perfect to read heading into Halloween. The first few chapters have been intriguing so far.

Reading space inspired by Imagination Library book coming to Bucyrus

Several local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program clinics across the state, including in Bucyrus, are receiving new reading spaces for children.Developed by the Ohio Department of Health and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, the reading spaces are cozy, colorful areas stocked with books for kids to enjoy as their families spend time at the clinic.Designed in the form of a tree, flower or seed in the various WIC locations, the reading spaces take visual inspiration from the Imagination Library book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”Reading space locations selected based on literacy dataThe Crawford County WIC office, 1520 Isaac Beal Road, Bucyrus, is one of 10 locations in Ohio where a reading space will be added in the coming weeks. The clinics were selected based on regional early childhood literacy data, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio participation rates, kindergarten readiness scores and access to nearby library resources.The locations serve more than 33,000 families each month.Each of the reading spaces will feature a QR code families can scan to enroll children in the Imagination Library program.While only select locations will add the reading spaces, all WIC clinics can assist families in enrolling children in Imagination Library.ODH’s WIC program serves more than 135,000 infants and children up to age 5 each month statewide.Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails children one age-appropriate book each month until his or her fifth birthday, at no cost to the family. Over 410,000 Ohio children are participating in the program. That’s 62% of state’s eligible children.