Yes, He Can

Could Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s autobiography turn out to be an unexpected hit?

There was much snickering from the pundit class last week when it was announced that Patrick had signed a $1.35 million deal to write his memoirs. The book, scheduled to come out in 2010, will detail the governor’s rise from the South Side of Chicago to Harvard Law School, the Clinton Administration and ultimately, the Massachusetts State House.

I was among those initially skeptical of the wisdom of this deal—but if the book is effectively marketed to African-American audiences, Random House may well have a hit on its hands.

There may not be much local interest in a Patrick autobiography, but one cannot underestimate the potential for national interest. Despite recent negative coverage of his gubernatorial tenure in the New York Times and the Weekly Standard, Patrick’s struggles as governor are still unknown to the national populace.

Patrick’s life story can be skillfully marketed to African-American readers who desire a Tyler Perry-style triumph-over-adversity story. Say what you will about Patrick’s politics, but it’s impossible to deny that he has had an extraordinary life story, and that story can be shaped and packaged for an audience that desires Horatio Alger narratives.

African-American readers will respond to Patrick’s tale. He is an ambitious man who shattered numerous public- and private-sector glass ceilings, an effective lawyer and orator who, as a novice politician, pulled off one of the greatest landslide victories in Bay State history.

You’d better believe there’s a market for Patrick’s book. If Chris Gardner’s story can capture the imagination of millions, then why not Patrick’s? People will want to see Milton Academy, Harvard and the Justice Department through his eyes. They’ll want to be with him on the campaign trail; they’ll want to know how he dealt with the folks who insisted back in 2005 that he didn’t stand a chance of winning the ’06 election (folks like me, in other words).

Loyal African-American Democrats will surely enjoy the political shots Patrick will take in his autobiography. Patrick was heavily criticized by conservative activists in the 1990s for his actions as head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; he will undoubtedly use this book to settle old scores. Patrick will surely not hesitate to lash out against his old critics on the right, nor will he refrain from ripping 2006 gubernatorial opponent Kerry Healey and her GOP supporters all over again.

If Random House can convince politically minded African-American readers that this book is a compelling work, the publishing house will more than recoup its investment. Patrick may not be the most successful governor in Massachusetts history, but his life story is fascinating enough to make him a success in the literary world. How funny would it be if his book became a New York Times bestseller—two years after the paper declared him a political Old Yeller?