Obama Appoints James Patterson 'Book Czar'

Shelf Awareness

President Barack Obama has appointed bestselling author and noted book industry philanthropist James Patterson to coordinate the administration's support of independent bookstores nationwide, a White House official confirmed Monday. The new "Book Czar" will report directly to the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.

Newly appointed Book Czar James Patterson

"The President has asked Mr. Patterson to take on the task of coordinating the administration's efforts in promoting independent bookstores," the White House official said. "We figure he's done a hell of a lot more than the entire federal government to help indies. And as far as we know, he hasn't held any fawning press conferences at Amazon warehouses."

Obama himself said that as a requirement for the job, Patterson had to suspend his #SaveOurBooks campaign, launched last fall, which involved a petition asking the president to pledge that once a month, he would go into a library, bookstore or appear in public with a book in his hands.
"Heck, I buy books with the kids at Politics & Prose once a year," Obama said. "And I told Eric we don't need to cripple the big publishers anymore than we have. Isn't that enough?"

Republican lawmakers immediately attacked the appointment because--well, because Obama made it. --Robert Gray