Still Standing... ugh.

So this isn't a review (the review for Little Chapel on the River is coming, soon) but I wanted to say something about the news that Carrie Prejean has signed a book deal to write and publish her memoirs to be titled Still Standing. I've seen or heard a couple of news blurbs about this bit of "news" and thought I would write something about why I will NOT be reading this book.

Carrie is 22. This does not (NOT!) mean she cannot write a memoir at the age of 22, it's just that she seems to not have much to say other than the last six months. Six months can be really interesting to read about if treated in a more global scale. While Carrie, as a (former) pageant title holder, wishes for world peace (presumably) it is hard to imagine her using her own personal woes to create a more compelling piece. Perhaps she could examine society's obsession with celebrity and failure, or an insightful discussion on the right to personal opinions and society.

Rule number one is no celebrity memoirs. This includes those people holding on to their fifteen minutes of fame like it's the last lifeboat on the Titanic that is their public profile.

The publisher. Regnery Publications has given Prejean this book deal. Regnery seems to be an ideologue of a publishing company: (from their website) Welcome to the 62nd year of Regnery Publishing. Back in 1947, when Henry Regnery launched his bold adventure, the country was recovering from a World War, and a few brave souls were championing the start of the modern conservative movement. Regnery gave voice to that movement, publishing some of the most important conservative books of the age. I find it strange that the publisher has such a specific outlook. I checked the HarperCollins Publishers website (which seems to be a common memoir publisher btw) and couldn't find a single mention of the ideological bent of the publisher. Regnery has a "New and Noteworthy" section on their website that seems completely populated by books you find in the clearance section of your local barnes and noble. Notable titles from the publisher include, but are not limited to (text in parenthesis is from the website):

• Green Hell (Move over red, white, and blue, America is going green. Personal expression is fine, but this has much more sinister implications because going green is no longer a choice; it's a government mandate. In his shocking exposé, Green Hell, Steven Milloy unveils how the green movement is rapidly growing stronger—and more invasive—under our first green president.)
• Welcome to Obamaland (Does the election of Barack Obama fill you with dread, rather than elation? Do you feel like your country has been high-jacked by a bunch of liberal fruitcakes who have no idea how to fix the economy, but know exactly how to ruin your life? Then good news: you're not alone! )
• Boys Should be Boys (Boyhood used to be a time of freedom and fun—of catching bullfrogs, playing tackle football, and roaming the woods—but not anymore. Rambunctious, high-spirited boys—healthy boys—nowadays face an increasingly hostile world that doesn’t value the unique gifts of boys, that discounts their masculine virtues, and that undermines what boys need to become mature, confident, and thoughtful men. In Boys Should Be Boys, Meg Meeker, pediatrician and author of the critically acclaimed Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, unlocks the secrets of what parents can do to restore some of the magic of boyhood and help their son become the man they want him to be.)

I'm all about opening one's mind to differing opinions to their own, however the books published by this publisher seem to be completely opposite of my personal beliefs, and the logical foundations on which those beliefs are based. I like to read to relax and enjoy myself, not to raise my blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Do we really believe that Prejean will write in a competent way? Based on the few times I've seen video of her public speaking I do not hold out hope on her ability to write in a intelligent and well crafted way.

This memoir is slated to come out in November. It is currently July, this gives Prejean about 4 months to write the book, have it edited, change things for editor's notes and such. This seems rather truncated in the realm of publishing quality books.

I'm assuming this book will flop majorly. I had completely forgotten about Prejean until this info came out today (yesterday? I'm not sure, I get a lot of my cultural news on podcasts a day or so behind) and I bet people will have completely forgotten about her by November.

I hope you don't wait with bated breath for my review of Still Standing, because it will not be coming.