Mark Singer (1) (1950–)

Trump and Me is a reprint of a late nineties New Yorker article about Donald Trump written by Marc Singer, who also provides both prologue and epilogue to the article he wrote that guaranteed the writer a spot on Trump's enemies list. Written about America's forty-fifth president nearly two decades beforehand, this book is just another perfect example of how everybody already knew what Donald Trump really was all along, and how none of that mattered in 2016.

I'm still seeking answers and understanding, but what I found here was validation. My favorite quote describes Trump as a man "who had aspired to and achieved the ultimate luxury, an existence unmolested by the rumbling of a soul." Ouch! I could see Trump reading this whole book (which is based on an earlier (1996) extended New Yorker profile/interview) and being not quite sure ultimately if he is being lauded or insulted. Such is the skill of Singer's wit and word-smithery, oftentimes, show more using Trump's own words about himself or situations. When the initial interview was published under Tina Brown's editorial leadership, Trump could understand (or was told?) its mocking nature and fired off an insult-laden response and the terms of his antagonistic relationship with Singer began. This little book of 3 essays was published in 2016, but prior to election results. Like Trudeau's "Doonesbury's 'YUGE!'" collection it would be hilarious if it weren't our present reality. show less

Mr. Singer is a hero for sharing this quick read. The unblemished truth, revealed twenty years ago. His final observations are salient and horrifying but oddly amusing. Please consider this little biography before November. The author is "Newyorker" magazine erudite with plain language too.

Compilation of the author's New Yorker profiles and Talks of the Town. I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- full of quirky characters and vignettes about not necessarily famous, but certainly interesting people. If you like biographical essays, or just well-written insights into "not-so-ordinary" ordinary people it's a fun book.