Blue State Blues - Tapa dura

"Here is an inside view of running for office that is purely ingenuous, with no agenda other than reporting the details of the process as accurately and entertainingly as possible. What Slavitt has accomplished here is not only valuable, but unique; this book is wise, and brave, and hilarious."--Daniel Mark Epstein, author of Lincoln and Whitman

In this witty and sharply observant memoir, David R. Slavitt recounts his day-to-day life on the campaign trail, describing the often surreal experience of being a pro-choice, pro-gay-marriage GOP candidate running against a pro-life, anti-gay-marriage Democrat. When Slavitt decided to make a run for the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2004, he knew the odds were against him. Though a well-respected writer, he was a political novice and a moderate Republican in a district where defeating any Democrat was next to impossible. But in the grandest of American traditions, hoping for the best and wanting to do some good, he threw his hat into the ring-and the result was a circus he could never have anticipated. From fundraising and door-knocking to angling for good press and mixing with nationally known candidates and officials, Slavitt navigates the choppy waters of state politics, learning as he goes. This is a fast and funny read that shows that American politics still has a heart.