By: Joe Strupp Did former Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. know something about the 2008 presidential election before the rest of us when he penned his first novel earlier this year, which includes a woman vice-presidential candidate?
Perhaps. But now that that campaign is over, Downie's fictional story can begin as his book, "The Rules Of the Game" (Knopf, 2009) is set to be released next week, and reviewed by Downie's own paper this coming weekend.
"That is what I was told," Downie said about word that the Post's Book World would give the novel a look-see on Sunday. He had no comment on what he expected from the review.
Book World Editor Marie Arana did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday.
One initial review, from Publisher's Weekly, offered support, declaring it: ?Nicely executed . . . Downie exposes corruption at the highest levels and shows how national security trumps pretty much everything, including justice, in an entertaining . . . tale of murder, cover-ups, and personal courage.?
The Amazon.com posting also offers positive accounts from Kirkus Reviews and Booklist.
The Publisher's Weekly description states: "Sarah Page, a Washington Capital investigative reporter who's been assigned to the national politics staff after being chastised for a romantic involvement with a colleague, is covering the presidential race between Democrat Monroe Capehart, an elderly Pennsylvania senator, and Republican Warner Wylie, the U.S. vice president. The race escalates after Susan Cameron, California's popular junior senator, becomes Capehart's running mate. Those looking for similarities between Cameron and Sarah Palin will be disappointed, but the same dramatic possibility that haunts the real campaign occurs shortly after the election is decided. Downie (Justice Denied) exposes corruption at the highest levels and shows how national security trumps pretty much everything, including justice, in an entertaining if familiar tale of murder, cover-ups and personal courage."
Downie has declined to offer any hints of characters based on real people, other than to note that fictional newspaper editor Lou Runyan is based partially on a Post legend: "The only person in the book modeled on a real person is the editor in the book, who is clearly modeled on Ben Bradlee, aspects of Ben Bradlee -- including his bravery as an editor," Downie previously told E&P.
The former executive editor, who handed over his old post to Marcus Brauchli in September, said the book debut will include a "pretty extensive" book tour, taking him to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Cleveland, among other locations, during the first part of 2009.
He will then begin his teaching duties at Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications in the fall with two or three "short visits," followed by an extensive stay to teach in the spring of 2010.
But he plans to return to Washington, D.C., and his duties as an editor-at-large at the Post: "My primary residence will still be here."
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