“D.C. Unmasked & Undressed is a memoir. The story of my life includes events, characters and insights related to my miserable childhood, my legal career, and my varied sexual adventures. It can be summarized as: Girl from dysfunctional family meets boy from same…

I worked hard and played hard, too. Along the way, and for several years, I was the not-so-secret lover of a sitting Supreme Court Justice who has recently published his own memoir… His name is Clarence Thomas.” (Excerpted from the Introduction—“Rules Rule”. pg. xiii)

“Writing my first book was an adventure [which] comes from my heart with love… This is not an autobiography. It’s a journey that I am still taking to love and accept myself just as I am. I want you to walk this road with me. You can never be happy until you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. If this book helps people find those answers, it has succeeded.” - Excerpted from the Acknowledgements (pgs. v-vi)

Whenever I’ve interviewed Janet Jackson, I’ve always had the sense that I was speaking with a very grounded individual for someone who was born inside the bubble of celebrity and who has lived her whole life in the limelight. Thus, I am not surprised to discover that she would seem as real and equally accessible in her autobiography.

“What do we mean by Black Faces in White Places? It is more than just a numbers game and being the only person of color in a predominantly white environment. It is more than being subjected to racism and discrimination based on the color of your skin.

“It is even more than being a ‘Black first.’ It is, in fact, about pursuing greatness in ways that leverage your culture and ethnicity as assets, not as liabilities.“—(Black Faces in White Places: Introduction. p. 9)

In his pathbreaking book, The Rage of a Privileged Class: Why Do Prosperous Blacks Still Have the Blues? (1993), Newsweek columnist and contributing editor, Ellis Cose illustrated how the American Dream has remained a dream deferred for many black college grads—for even those with advanced degrees.

“In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O’Keefe to the courage of Jackie Robinson, from the strength of Helen Keller to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America’s children…This beautiful book is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths. It celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans, from our nation’s founders to the generations to come.”   - Excerpted from the inside cover

Sasha and Malia Obama are now 9 and 12, respectively, which actually makes the First Daughters a little older than the 4-8 demographic contemplated as the target audience for this children’s book designed as a letter to them from their doting dad. Of Thee I Sing is basically a baker’s dozen, brief biographies of important figures in American history, from Father of the Country George Washington up to Maya Lin, the artist/architect who, while still an undergraduate at Yale, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located on the National Mall.