Jeanne Marie: To Obama

Every evening for eight years, at his request, President Obama was given ten handpicked letters written by ordinary American citizens – the unfiltered voice of a nation – from his Office of Presidential Correspondence. In To Obama, Jeanne Marie Laskas interviews President Obama, the letter writers themselves, and the White House staff who sifted through the incredibly intimate narrative of America during the Obama years. To Obama is a look one man’s relationship to the American people, and a record of a time when empathy intersected with politics in the White House.

Featured Writer

Jeanne Marie Laskas is the author of eight books, including the New York Times bestseller Concussion, the basis for the 2015 Golden-Globe-nominated film starring Will Smith. She is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, a correspondent at GQ, and a two-time National Magazine Award finalist. Her stories have also appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Esquire. She serves as Distinguished Professor of English and founding director of the Center for Creativity at the University of Pittsburgh.