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The Odd Story of the Obama-Wiesel Book

The project between the President and Laureate is not happening

by
Adam Chandler
November 13, 2012

A bizarre story came out a few days before the U.S. elections during a Haaretz interview with Elie Wiesel.

Much of his time is devoted to writing: “I am always working on something, even now. But I can’t tell you about it. I believe in superstitions. You don’t talk about a child who hasn’t been born.”



He did, however, agree to disclose an interesting project that will resume after the presidential elections in the United States. “[President Barack] Obama and I decided to write a book together, a book of two friends,” he says.

News of the book project came as a surprise considering the high-profile nature of the authors to-be. I asked a few people who are in the publishing know whether or not they had heard of the project and none of them had. As it turns out, at least according to reports today, it’s not happening.

The subscription-only Publisher’s Lunch, citing a source close to Obama, reported that there is no book and no book deal, the Forward reported Tuesday.

So what gives? I’m asking for someone who never buys the right gifts for Hanukkah.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.