Some months ago, Priya and I got in a fight with our publishers. They had separately decided that both of our new books should be published on the same day. No one but us thought it was bad. We pleaded that it was very, very bad. This is not like having two burgers on the same day. This is like having two earthquakes on the same day.
We are published by two different imprints (Hi, Riverhead!, hi Knopf!, thanks for reading!!! and also for everything!!!), but they are part of the same conglomerate. I thought corporate consolidation was supposed to solve problems like this. Alas.
Ultimately, they agreed to separate our pub dates by three weeks. So Priya went yesterday, and mine is September 29. And this whole month everything is chaos.
Beautiful, lucky, maddening, joyous chaos.
Yesterday, we both woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get prepared for Priya’s launch day and “Morning Joe” appearance. I accompanied her there and played the role that so many young boyfriends now seem obligated to play: director of social media chronicling. Then she dropped me off at a three-hour podcast taping I was doing in Dumbo, in Brooklyn, and she was off to Washington, D.C., for a launch event there. Then I was with the kids, and I asked them if they could play quietly so I could nap, because of the 4:30 a.m. wake-up, plus naps are my secret, and then I had to take them with me to get my haircut back in Manhattan, because I couldn’t look the way I was looking for Priya’s big launch event tonight. I know this because Priya, the least judgmental person on earth, has repeatedly asked me of late about any upcoming haircut plans. The woman who cuts my hair cuts it with a knife, in addition to scissors, which provided huge entertainment for the kids. They were more engaged by this than by the gorgeous art books she had generously handed them, after apologizing that her selection was limited because most of her art books consist of nudes. Then I took the kids to dinner, during which a gigantic crisis erupted for Priya. But it’s OK now!(?)
This morning, I have the kids solo as Priya returns from D.C. Just had a long morning can-you-wake-me-up-Papa hug with my daughter, who likes to be introduced to the day, and a consultation about hair gel with my son — there is a school orientation today and a play date involving board games. Tonight is Priya’s big launch. And my task list for today involves: finishing my toast for Priya tonight, sending out invites for my book events, consulting a dermatologist about this skin thing, and maybe a run?!
But it’s all part of the madness of the joy. Or so we are trying to tell ourselves. To be honest, we have been stressed about it all summer — it’s hard to bring into the world something people keep saying no one wants anymore: books. It’s hard for both partners to do it. But I don’t believe those prognostications. Priya and I decided, with help from wise friends, that the way to face this situation is to find the joy in it.
The reason the coincident pub dates were a problem, in our minds, was because of how much we would be asking of people. It wasn’t the logistics. It was the sense of shame in asking for so much from so many people, all at the same time. We are more comfortable offering than asking, hosting than guesting, but here we are.
So I am very intentionally not going to apologize to you for spamming you with all of these things happening and these invitations. I’m going to keep sharing with you in the spirit of sharing our family’s chaotic joy. In my work, you go away for a long time, and you report and learn and think and write. And then you return to the world, and sometimes, as it happens, your wife is landing on the same runway at the same hour.
So I hope you take all of these offerings and invitations in the spirit in which they are intended, as portals into that which we most care about and have most carefully nourished and tightly held in these years. Thank you for being in this with me and us.
And now to those offerings and invitations:
If you live in or around New York:
— I want to see you at the big launch event at the 92Y on September 30. It’s going to be an amazing night. Tina Brown is the greatest chat partner I could have asked for. Get tickets here.
— Also for New Yorkers: I’m doing a really cool and special thing with the McNally Jackson bookstore: an in-person book club series. The store is organizing New Yorkers to read the book in tandem over three months, and there are going to be three meetings — with yours truly in attendance — and we’ll discuss it all. RSVP here.
If you live anywhere at all:
— Please come meet me on book tour. All the dates here — along with a new Southern California date because you all asked for it! And also here on my website.
— A lot of you have complained about cities not on the list as of yet. I hear you, and I urge you to tell your local bookstore to invite me. That’s how it works, and I am more than eager to come wherever books are read. And you can also catch the big launch event on September 30 via streaming here.
If you like true-crime investigative series:
— I’m trying a new experiment with this book: a companion YouTube investigative series where I unspool one piece of evidence from my reporting at a time. The first episode just dropped, and I’m really proud of trying something weird and new.
If you like conversation full of laughter:
Not long ago, Priya and I did our first joint podcast interview with our friend Monica Lewinsky. It is a truly hilarious conversation in which we share more than we should have, and nonetheless I will share it here.
OK, I was just summoned to go make breakfast and see my daughter’s new Doc Martens — she apparently went with black, not the sparkly pink, she updated me. All of life, in all its high and low variety. Grateful for all of it and for you being here.
What I am liking about both of your emails about the book "stuff" is that neither of you is loosing track of what I think is most essential about writing and then publishing a book: what is the work in the world the book can do? In 2003, I was diagnosed with cancer on the day of my multi-city book tour and I was only able to keep one stop, The Diane Rehm show in DC. I consoled myself with the fact that though the book had sailed without me, it could still do its work in the world. Twenty-three years later, it still is. Although you are both trying to give human interest angles to your book launches, you are still clearly showing the work the books can and will do...if we read them. I have started Priya's and have ordered yours. Congratulation!
Enjoy it all...you both are birthing gifts to our world. Thank you.