Co-Author Eisenstock Discusses David Alan Grier's 'Barack Like Me' Friday

By Michael Aushenker, Staff Writer

2009-11-05
Recall that last year Alan Eisenstock co-authored a book with comedian Robert Schimmel on his cancer survival experience (see 'Comic/Author Robert Schimmel, Author Eisenstock to Talk,' March 12, 2008, at the PalisadesPost.com archives). This time, the theme is race, politics and culture in 21st-century America as the Palisadian helps comedian David Alan Grier translate his sharp, opinionated wit to book form. Eisenstock will discuss and sign 'Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth' on Friday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m., at Village Books on Swarthmore.

Eisenstock describes the Grier book to the Palisadian-Post as 'a narrative made up of two journeys'the journey he took from late in Barack Obama's presidential campaign, through the election, to his attempt to attend the Inauguration.

'In 'Barack Like Me,'' he continues, 'Grier tells the story of watching the primary election returns while holding his baby daughter and realizing, incredibly, that Obama could actually win the presidency. At that moment, he knows that his daughter's world will be much different from the world he grew up in and far, far different from the one his parents and grandparents knew. Grier started sobbing as he recalled the story. He cried a lot, actually, as he told me stories from his life.'

The second journey in 'Barack' is Grier's personal story, from his Detroit beginnings to his work on 'In Living Color' and 'Dancing with the Stars,' to his latest project, the new David Mamet play, 'Race,' which debuts on Broadway this month.

Eisenstock, who has lived in the Alphabet Streets for a decade, insists 'readers will be moved, and I'm certain they'll laugh.

'The book is fueled by Grier's humor, sensitivity, and intelligence,' continues Eisenstock, who enjoyed collaborating with the African-American comedian. 'David was an absolute pleasure to work with. The project was very intensive, it had to be done in six weeks. We met several times a week at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Hollywood. We had lunch and usually spent all afternoon working. He almost always picked up the check!'

Contact Village Books at (310) 454-4063. Visit alaneisenstock.com.