BOSTONIA, the alumni publication for Boston University, posted an audio slide show on their web site. I graduated from BU many years ago.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
BOSTONIA audio slide show
BOSTONIA, the alumni publication for Boston University, posted an audio slide show on their web site. I graduated from BU many years ago.
Monday, December 8, 2008
TV appearance in Washington, D.C.
This morning, I did an interview with the local Fox affiliate in Washington. There was a problem with my wireless microphone, which I didn't realize until the technician attached a new while I was talking about the photo in Russia. So that's the reason I stumbled a bit when discussing that photo.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
NY TIMES BESTSELLER!
The book is on the latest New York Times best seller list at #16 in hardcover non-fiction. This information was released last night and will appear in the print edition of the NYT on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Article in Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette has a story in today's paper about my upcoming appearance at the Friends of the Library dinner next week in Lancaster, Ohio.
Friday, August 29, 2008
CNN interview (link at bottom of page)
Here are a few pictures from inside the buffer zone from last night's acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Why GMA gave me a bloody nose
For the past two weeks, I've known that I would be appearing on Good Morning America. Last Friday I spent two hours on the phone with a GMA writer, who collected anecdotes and information about possible photographs that would be shown on air. The writer followed up with a couple of additional phone calls and e-mails the last couple of days. So although the pending appearance on a national TV show made me a bit nervous, it was a welcome relief to know that there was some preparation on the part of the show.
Chris Cuomo interviewed me for GMA at the ABC studio in the Pepsi Center here in Denver, where the Democratic National Convention is being held.
Cuomo made me feel welcome, and in the moments before the interview started, made sure he knew how to pronounce my last name.
"Any relation?" he asked, presumably meaning to John Philip Sousa, the famed bandleader (who spells his name with a second "S" and not a "Z".)
"He's my great, great grand nothing," I replied. Cuomo laughed and that seemed to relax me even more.
The interview itself was a blur. Several people called and e-mailed to say I had done a great job.
Who knows.
When I got back to my hotel, my nose was a bit stuffy and when I blew into a tissue, blood came pouring out. Probably a combination of the high altitude, a very dry hotel room, and the nerves of being on a national TV show.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
End of an era
This photo pays tribute to Sen. Edward Kennedy, who made a dramatic appearance at the Democratic National Convention tonight in Denver. Triumph Books sent me to Denver to publicize my book (I did two television interviews today). This trip also gave me the chance to photograph this historic event tonight. Kennedy has terminal brain cancer, and it was uncertain if he would appear.
Appear he did, making an emotional speech to the delegates.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Ten Radio Interviews
What to do. Last week I was on vacation at our cabin in northern Michigan. We have no phone and no internet. And if I walk ten feet into Douglas Lake, I'm lucky to find one bar on my Iphone (it usually took me ten minutes to just download the latest Red Sox box score).
So when my publisher asked me if I could do a series of ten radio interviews last Thurday, they insisted that I use a land line. I said confidently that I would be able to find a neighbor who had a phone I could use. Which turned out to be more difficult than I thought.
Then I remembered that there was a Holiday Inn Express across from the small airport about 25 minutes from our cabin. So I drove there, and explained my dilemma to a woman named Isabel at the front desk. She was kind enough to let me use a room for two hours to do my interviews.
When I finished, I presented Isabel with a signed copy of my book.
One of the radio interviews, with Steve Fast of WJBC, can be downloaded via ITunes.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
McLean and Eakin, Petoskey, Michigan
I did a presentation and book signing at a great bookstore, McLean and Eakin, in Petoskey, Michgian on Aug. 14.
Photos are from outside the store.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Barnes & Noble, Columbus, Ohio
Julie Elman, the designer of the book, sent me this photo of the display at B&N in Columbus.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Book Launch Party
Susan Biddle and Carol McKay hosted a great book party last night in honor of the publication of my book. Susan is a staff photographer at the Washington Post (who has just taken a buy-out), and Carol is a picture editor at U.S. News & World Report. I worked with both of them at the White House during the Reagan administration.
So many great friends and colleagues joined us at Susan's house in Silver Spring, Maryland. Because it was an unseasonably cool Washington evening, the party was mostly outside. I made a short presentation about how I got started photographing Sen. Obama and explained how the book came about.
Several guests arrived with their books in hand for me to sign, and many more purchased books at the party. For me, it was a memorable evening, one I shall never forget.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Presentation and book signing on August 9 in Washington
I will be making a presentation and signing books at the Edison Place Gallery in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Aug. 9 between 2 and 4PM.
The backdrop for this event is "The Eyes of History" exhibition--a selection of winning images from the annual White House News Photographers Association contest. (Included in the exhibit are three of my Obama images.)
The event is open to the public. A limited number of books will be available for sale; you may also bring a previously purchased copy if you want me to sign it.
The Gallery entrance is 702 Eighth Street, NW. One block west of the Verizon Center. Gallery Place is the closest metro stop.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sold Out at Target!
The Target in Bailey's Crossroads, in suburban Washington, D.C. is sold out. If you look closely above the $19.56, you can see it's written "The Rise of Barack Obama." And this is on the "best sellers" shelf.
I guess it's good news that they're out of stock. Means somebody has been buying the book. Then again, it also means someone that hasn't seen the book won't see it at this Target until they are shipped more copies.
Now, if you'd like a copy of Dick Morris' latest book, with the bright red cover, there are plenty of copies available.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Interviewed on MSNBC
I was interviewed this afternoon by Contessa Brewer on MSNBC.
Patti insisted I wear dress shoes instead of my Keens. "They're only to go show me from the waist up," was my argument. Nonetheless, I wore the damn dress shoes anyway.
MSNBC sent a car service to pick me up in Arlington. The driver proceeded to nearly get in two accidents en route to the studio, one where another driver in a large SUV didn't yield (or even slow down) onto the GW Parkway, and another where my driver blew through a red light near American University.
Once at the NBC studios, I was escorted to make-up, where I was plastered with, well, make-up. Then I was ushered to a closet-like room with a chair, a small desk, an unmanned TV camera, and a back-drop showing a Washington scene. I was outfitted with an ear plug for the audio.
A producer's voice soon boomed through my right ear, "Can you hear us okay?" And a couple of minutes later, the interviewer, Contessa Brewer, began firing questions.
It's a little disconcerting when all you see is a TV camera in front of you and a voice coming from somewhere (New York?) asking you questions about your book, which obviously she hadn't looked at very long, if at all. And certainly she hadn't read the text. And though they were projecting images on the screen, I didn't know which ones.
She also called me "Peter" the entire interview, which only my mother calls me.
After a couple of minutes (I think between 2-3), the interview was over. Back in the car, I turned my Iphone back on, and saw two e-mails already from friends who happened to be watching MSNBC. And I checked on Amazon, and the book ranking had risen dramatically.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ten out of ten
Photographer Walter P. Calahan gives The Rise of Barack Obama a "10."
Okay, full disclosure. Walt is a friend of mine, so I'm not sure how biased his review is.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
More on Amazon.com
Several friends have alerted me that Amazon sent them a message that their book has shipped. According to the Amazon website, they now have the book in stock. Their price of $18.45 is the best I've seen.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Competing Against Myself?
Looks like it. The Chicago Tribune, my former employer, is publishing a "quickie" book on Obama to sell in bookstores before the Democratic Convention.
The book will surely include many of my photographs taken between 2005-2007. And ironically, a Tribune reporter interviewed me for the text portion of the book yesterday.
Amazon.com
So several people have alerted me to the fact that Amazon is "temporarily out of stock" of the book. In fact, Amazon hasn't yet received their shipment of books from the publisher. Barnes and Noble began selling books in their stores last week, because they received their shipment of books directly from the printer in Massachusetts.
But alas, Amazon has a different policy, which requires their books come directly from the publisher not the printer. So the Amazon shipment had to go from Massachusetts (the printer) to Chicago (the publisher) and then on to the Amazon warehouses.
I'm told the publisher received the books today from Massachusetts, and they will be promptly shipped to Amazon.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Words Taken Out of Context
PDN did a short article and nice audio slide show about the book. But then in another blog item, they took my words from the SportsShooter article out of context. PDN writes: "the pages looked lighter than the proofs, making them look like 'crap,' according to Souza..."
What I wrote on SportsShooter was talking about how the photographs looked on the monitor of the pre-press person and NOT about the pages themselves. This is the exact sentence I wrote: "But as I looked over the shoulder of their pre-press person, I could see that the photographs on their monitor looked like crap."
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