Cody Keenan

Well, this was a trip back to the “before” times. Keenan invites the reader behind the scenes of the speechcave at the White House with a focus on ten days in June 2015. This period includes the racist attack at the Mother Emanual AME church in Charleston SC and two major Supreme Court decisions. Seen through the eyes of the chief speechwriter, these events were momentous not just for the people that were personally impacted but for the entire communications staff. Keenan pays homage to rather than idolizing Obama. Watching the process was inspiring as the author shows us his submitted final draft and then reveals Obama’s edits. How fortunate we were to witness their collaboration. I couldn’t help but feel nostalgia for the days of lofty rhetoric emanating from the podium during the Obama years. If your politics don’t align, no worries, this is a story of the hard work done by White House staff in the face of the impossible cascade of joyful and tragic events requiring a response from the Oval Office.… (more)

Keenan, Obama's chief speechwriter, recounts the days leading up to Obama's eulogy for the pastor killed by the Charleston shooter in 2015. You know, the famous eulogy that ended with Obama singing Amazing Grace. It was also the week that the Supreme Court decisions upholding the ACA, and gay marriage came out. When Obama speaks, you forget that there are many people helping him put those words together. Cody is one, and led a large group of other talented folks.
The book also intersperses snippets of Cody's life, his relationship with the president, and other White House staff, and lots of details about the White House and West Wing.… (more)