He won a national a National Magazine the word in 2,011, appeared as a guest on the daily show and many other programs. His book was a number one New York Times bestseller. We are very happy to join us to celebrate the publication of his latest book, citizens of the green room. Without further without further ado, please join me in welcoming mark weaver which. It had nothing to do with me. It is like a home home team kind of place. I love it to come and it is great to be a part of this. An interesting transparency. Before we went on cspan is here, and everyone was asked to come up front. One of the oldest tricks was to remove every single chair that you can. We never we never had to resort to that. Because this is actually we are not shameless. Cannot behave like these people. In the interest of transparency awarded to say that and should say that i actually saw a copy in the green room of morning joe and took a picture of it and tweeted it. Essentially this book is book about public life, made up of a collection of profile profiles i have done over the years. These are in essentially citizens of the green room. What does that mean exactly you review this town. He said, you know, this is a great book. The title should have been citizens of the green room. They inhabit a reality that only those who have seen the inside of green rooms or a holding room are all aware of. I coopted that and made it the title of this book. That segues into an interesting destination i have had. What is it and different from people in public life. There is a wine talking about the rich in which he says the rich are just different from you and me. One of the things i have noticed she talked about dehumanizing peace support life. You. You cannot have a normal moment she used to terms that i thought were incredibly poignant. Essentially this has been my beat. I have fallen into it. Starting in 2,002, degenerated into this very public unguarded confessional in which my tape recorder was running in the midst of these issues that they were having. And you get a sense of how politics has evolved. Later on he became a conscious, straitjacketed figure. I have really taken an incredible interest in what this all means. In this book i try to collate as many indepth pieces as i possibly can, especially those who might run for president in 2016. Pretty prominent. A number of people who were also quite prominent. The times might change, the technology might change. The people remain exactly the same. This was a fun book to do. Someone puts a come. Together, youre supposed to be secretly apologetic. This is really hard to do. Most of these passages, pretty sure, pretty contextual to what i was just saying, and then i want to go in the process and want to make this as interactive as possible. Rotten vegetables being thrown at me. Feel free to interrupt me and i will take whatever questions. The title that refers to a casual plus of wine. Let me read you a quick passage from that. This is more of a topical thing. It it gets to what i was talking about before. Back when he was running for president in 2,008 or 2,007 quentin was having a relaxed drink and to lobby in manchester with a bunch of reporters. She was playing relaxed and laughed a lot for the heck of it. I asked the senator what state she would live in. Hillary frowned. I like all the states, she said. She knew that i knew that a president ial candidate could not possibly answer that question, which is true. Ambitious public actor. The. The f essence of the dehumanizing. Veteran reelection year. Given her aspirations she was correct. A few years earlier i was writing about john mccain and we went to see the arizona diamondbacks. Late in the game i asked where he would leak least like to live. For some reason i ask people list and see for some reason than to. Ballgame, we have been narrow while. A while. I would hate to live in milwaukee. And he seems to think nothing of it, and i didnt either. I have a lot of space to fill. A bunch of bullet points at the end. In the course of the last five innings angling these things. Things. It was very, okay, why not. To be a public actor is to be trapped by persona. The clintons know this better than most. An addendum the public arena. I i wouldnt say was a big issue for him. Wisconsin was a swing estate. One of the things for a lot of the questions have been about the writing process talking like to human beings profile john mccain talking for hours on end. It was an amazing thing at the time. David Foster Wallace wrote john mccain unlike any politician i have seen approximate what normal a normal person would be like. What was interesting is what happened to john mccain. 2,008 he was suddenly a nominee of his party. Twitter was there and facebook was there. He was asked a question on his campaign plan, trying to replicate the old Straight Talk express taste, and some young reporter yelled out, would you pay for viagra on your Health Care Plan or Something Like that . Someone followed up, are you on viagra, senator. It is the kind of thing thats a big headline. I dont remember what he said. How many houses do you have. Have. He hesitated. Again the media plays a huge role in this. Are they wrong track it does give you an indication of how the world has changed and it has become something of a dehumanizing product. So why people talk to me at all, probably the single most common question i get. I can speak a little out of school. Scaling out a week from sunday. He would not speak to me at first. Finally he did. I read your book. It was funny. Theres an appetite for a larger longer form, hopefully more nuanced approach to political storytelling and, frankly, biography. I think that we now in our media environment lives so much in short pants, whatever the hourly demand for a tweet or some kind of headline or page view is that it is you lose the larger narrative in the larger character of people. Its happening of the seventh floor, theater. Theater. The nation is not as divided and as a political reporter see this every day to a. Where you take it for granted. They turned it into a book. It was a long version of that Rolling Stone piece. Jason weissberg was editing david Foster Wallace Rolling Stone. He wrote the introduction of air covering politics, dont forget to tell us how weird it is. People take for granted the fact that it is weird and it is theater, and in many cases it is amplified beyond the level of reality put into a language and spend. I want a little flavor this is an example of the playacting i am talking about. He is not at all happy. None of the usual flavors that we tend to associate. Better or get off my yard or deeply troubled of birds, a man a man who was gleefully seizing an opportunity for outrage. He hands me a photocopy this was a bad idea announcing the senate floor something i cant make out. Only a a few words of reply. It looks as if they are dancing something he said as a way of pointing out his hypocrisy. This was historic to vote as he can remember casting the harm done to the institution of the set. I asked him what he said before the speech. I will kick the crap out of you. I would expect nothing less. He grins big to conclude this dark chapter. I want to jump to one paragraph from later is met with a face full of them. Just on the floor kicking the crap out of the democratic leader. He mentions that Congress Approval ratings on below paid staffers and blood relatives the only people on the planet you have not heard it are in australia she is not happy with congress. Two genuine belly laughs. Wants to talk about the archipelago in the South Pacific where he used to vacation with his family. Lovely, gentle people even though they used to each other. Abcaseven i dont no why. It gave me the giggles then, and it gives me the giggles now. That is a little. That is a little flavor of some of the profiles the book. I can do one of three things now, keep talking, read another read another passage, or i can take questions. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] because i will say, one, i would say on one hand you are right. On the other hand that is the environment we are living in. This is reflective of a world in which we need to do much better, women who are prominent in politics and media. I think that makes for a campaign all the more fascinating. Who do you think would be interesting. A lot of people. The new senator from iowa comes to mind. Nancy pelosi. I wrote about her once. I once. I guess i am a sexist pig. Nevermind. There are lots. The castro brothers are endlessly fascinating. One of the most elusive characters. This town, the transactional way that the political media has to work. The nature of the profile. The complex nature. The benefit of the New York Times brand. It is a great question. In some ways the media has never been more of a prominent a prominent part of the story that it is now. And this time the media is a huge part of the story. It needs to look at the role and integrated more into the coverage, but their are basic journalistic principles that you must follow. Never promise anything. This is more unwritten, but these are not your friends. We go to the same parties. People can lose sight of the fact that their are strong winds we should be honoring. Nine times out of ten people interact because it is in their selfinterest. Look, i mean, there, there is a huge sort of personal relationship part of this. Seduction, charm, all of the flavors of social life are part of it, but ultimately we are going to be writing a different story than the official story that they want to tell which we will be a tension that will always be there. You will look like an idiot. Nothing but my voice. After a while you become boring. Not much in it. Thats not true. I would reject the premise. Believe me. That is all the time. The implication is that this will be damaging. They will be hurt. First first of all, i dont need anyones permission. I almost never ever go into a pitch. A pitch. I would like to talk to him are would like to do the story was your cooperation, but it is not always going to happen. Frank sinatra is a classic of the best celebrity profile ever. I think part of it is people are narcissistic enough that they can sell an official story, maybe they are successful. Everyone in here gave you permission. I mean, that is true in most cases. It does it does help to work for the times, have a reputation after a while. For whatever reason not only do most people let me in but talk to me afterwards. I cannot really explain it. Does anyone not talk to you after . Oh, their are people. This town, i expected it to be a lot worse. The single biggest question i would get was can you even step foot in washington dc against the back. I was doing a profile of marco rubio, right after 2012. I knew he liked football. Obsessed with the Miami Dolphins. Long snapper obsessed. And i did not to thought i had written about rubio when he was running percentage. I did not want to write about him again, but how would you like to go to a Miami Dolphins game with me. We wont talk about politics and the story will be about football. We probably we probably spent five or six hours together beginning at his house we drove to the game with his two kids i got a story of her as a dad. The was a big play in the fourth quarter. Are you running for president. He said not now. I dont no if that meant dont ask me now while not running for president now, but he didnt care. But normally i wont certain circumstances it can be fun. How was it. First of all, when you write a book like that and the terror of getting it done, deadlines were passing and family getting increasingly impatient. You you just want to get it out. Then you send it in and read it in a more prepublication mode. They are going to be mad. They read it and are like, okay. I better i better think about this. But i did some rigorous Fact Checking which involve a lot of frank discussions with most of these people about what was in store, telling them what i was going to say, some say, some of the hardest conversations you can imagine having professionally, and it did make it easier. People appreciate the heads up but it was hard. Someone i was really good friends with him would not write about so my approach to that is to be as transparent as i can. Hillary clinton said presumably a lot of people feel that way. To rely on the opportunity to spend a long time with these people does not afford itself that often the reporting that you do just around. One of the profiles is a a collection of writers to cover letters she wrote in college. They had this huge trove of correspondence. There are not any hidden documents or people who just have not been gotten to. They covered them over the years. This guy was like, sure. Sure. I am here in claremont, california. Im like, i can be on the next flight. I figured that in a half a day would take to get their he would come to his senses and think, im not giving this reporter ive never met i got there early and found the kinkos. Very. Very naive, not naive, but very almost flattered by the intention. He he actually let me i can review the beginning of the piece. It was not the person you see in the reminder that the people who are inside, there are people inside you dont no. This is the lead. High school friends, both high achievers. A driven civic minded, not especially close. Exchanging dozens of letters a rare unfiltered look. The ever disciplined persona. Since christmas vacation vacation i have gone through three and a half metamorphoses so far i have used alienated academic involved pseudo hippie and one half of withdrawn simplicity. The letters are self absorbed and revelatory, not yet reconciled myself to the fate of not being a store, sunday was to forget disdain for debutante dorm mates and an acid dropping friend. They know a lot about self and then encounters she had had it seems as though i have been thinking too much of you she planned to keep the letters. Became famous in obscurity. And so it goes on. I remember reading those letters a plane ride back from california and being astounded. If anyone found letters i wrote in college and published them, i would myself. The value of reporting around the official channels i had written the story. You have to go to the campaign. You have to ask them if it was her right into the sky because that is the journalism part of this. This. We have to protect ourselves against being completely embarrassed and print a said, yeah, it was her again, it was a great window , even now i have wondered where is that person back this sort of adult package. Did you ever ask her . I think i did. I think she said she was freaked out. And never specifically said. No, look. A lot of self absorbed exploration, this incredible eloquence. [inaudible conversations] good question. We have fair use issues. People on the letters command you can only quote so much of them. You quoted you quoted too much from this. We need to cut this off after one paragraph, very, very specific, and you cannot just take and published wholesale. A copyright action can be brought. I did not no that at the time. The kabuki theater mentality and how dehumanizing the experiences , do you generally find that they have completely been dehumanized . That is always see. It is complicated. People are mixed. The best intentions the kind of selfperpetuating world, so it gets muddled uncompromised, but a lot of the original best intentions stare and hopefully people respond to those. Of obama care for instance where the republicans have no interest in improving the program. Do they genuinely not care that maybe the consequences are that people might die . Coming off unemployment. I cannot generalize generalize about the republicans. I get it. Im not trying to be partisan. Look, in a situation like this, the impetus of winning and having your team deal they defeat to the other party is what drives a great deal of politics now. I remember interviewing nancy pelosi. She was saying george w. Bush was on a reform Social Security cake. Cake. It was going to be his Big Initiative his second term. To deny Barack Obamas second term. I am sure democrats are saying similar things. A pretty big structural problem and impediment. On the republican side people are far more worried about being primary. Primary down the right it is muddled uncomplicated. I would not make a blanket statement that these people dont care. Your buddy is he going to talk . And so thats got me thinking. Are there any specific instances where youve you dealt with either a hostile or unwilling participant and then sort of circled around until you broke it . That happened. There is always a bit of a down. I read i i have not been up here all day. Talk me into cooperating. Wanting to cooperate. It was weird. But what often happens, it is best to do two things. Call every one around them never underestimate the power of showing up. People usually do public events. They are out in public if they see you around they no that you we will fill material. Part of them is flattered. So sometimes you wont get them at all, but it is never you should never expect the initial call. It often takes work. The idealism, just besides politicians, media, lobbying. More money but a bigger celebrity culture. Do you see people come in with the same amount of idealism . Absolutely. Thirty years ago people do not come to washington to get rich. They going to finance. Now politics is is a place to go and get rich. The incredible flood of money, not just in campaigns but corporations paying lobbying firms and paying any number of entities to influence the government has created this gold rush. I dont i dont want to be too simplistic, but it is absolutely change the flavor of what people are therefore and their intentions. I read a lot. Jack abram off road a very compelling autobiography in prison. He talked about his relationships with members of Congress Making zillions of dollars a year. They would have lunch and after a while they would say, after youre done you should come work for us monday. Jack abram off said i knew once i get have that conversation with the politician i own them, which is true. Its basically a legal preemptive bribe. So a lot of it is preemptive sort of understandings. What else . Some of it is just trickledown, a lot of, you know, restaurants, parties, the Service Sector and washington. Washington. The wealthiest metropolitan area in the united states, very much a lot of inequality. The poverty rate is still pretty high. It has created a real boomtown culture. It is still their, but it is muddled. To you have to fight from getting deeply cynical. No, because i am over it i am i am already there. I am cynical because to cover politics, i am cynical because of the way i have spoken, the kinds of things i have seen. I am a bit done with the unreal was of it. Having having said that, cynicism is idealism turned inside out. I am very idealistic. Icon to it barack obama was elected. They started from the grassroots. There has been proven over and over that change can happen. There are a lot of reporters. Yes, there are. Of course. I guess i am a citizen. Yes. No. Washington especially. That is a line. Part of the show and there is not enough awareness people seem to think it is all part of the same deal. At the end of the day they are fighting all day. But absolutely. Anyone else . First of all, thank you. Great, really good questions. Hope you questions. Hope you we will buy the book. Back. Book tv is on twitter. Talk directly with authors. Joining us now on book tv
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