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Pretend I'm Not Here: How I Worked with Three Newspaper Icons, One Powerful First Lady, and Still Managed to Dig Myself Out of the Washington Swamp
An accomplished former ghostwriter and book researcher who worked with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, and Hillary Clinton goes behind-the-scenes of the national’s capital to tell the story of how she survived the exciting, but self-important and self-promoting world of the Beltway.
Barbara Feinman Todd has spent a lifetime helping other people tell their stories. In the early 1980s, she worked for Bob Woodward, first as his research assistant in the paper’s investigative unit and, later, as his personal researcher for Veil, his bestselling book about the CIA. Next she helped Carl Bernstein, who was struggling to finish his memoir, Loyalties. She then assisted legendary editor Ben Bradlee on his acclaimed autobiography A Good Life, and she worked with Hillary Clinton on her bestselling It Takes a Village. Feinman Todd’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the book’s creation, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House appeared in one of his books. These events haunted Feinman Todd for the next two decades until she confronted her past and discovered something startling.
Revealing what it’s like to get into the heads and hearts of some of Washington’s most compelling and powerful figures, Feinman Todd offers authentic portraits that go beyond the carefully polished public personas that are the standard fare of the Washington publicity factory. At its heart, Pretend I’m Not Here is a funny and forthcoming story of a young woman in a male-dominated world trying to find her own voice while eloquently speaking for others.
Barbara Feinman Todd has spent a lifetime helping other people tell their stories. In the early 1980s, she worked for Bob Woodward, first as his research assistant in the paper’s investigative unit and, later, as his personal researcher for Veil, his bestselling book about the CIA. Next she helped Carl Bernstein, who was struggling to finish his memoir, Loyalties. She then assisted legendary editor Ben Bradlee on his acclaimed autobiography A Good Life, and she worked with Hillary Clinton on her bestselling It Takes a Village. Feinman Todd’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the book’s creation, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House appeared in one of his books. These events haunted Feinman Todd for the next two decades until she confronted her past and discovered something startling.
Revealing what it’s like to get into the heads and hearts of some of Washington’s most compelling and powerful figures, Feinman Todd offers authentic portraits that go beyond the carefully polished public personas that are the standard fare of the Washington publicity factory. At its heart, Pretend I’m Not Here is a funny and forthcoming story of a young woman in a male-dominated world trying to find her own voice while eloquently speaking for others.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2017
28 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Feinman Todd
2 books1 followerBarbara Feinman Todd is the founding Journalism Director at Georgetown University, where she teaches in the English Department. Cofounder of the Pearl Project, she coauthored the e-book The Truth Left Behind: Inside the Kidnapping and Murder of Daniel Pearl. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Glamour, the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, Newsweek, and on NPR. She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 7, 2023
I was made privy to this book quite by accident a few weeks ago. I was watching a YouTube video of an interview Barbara Feinman Todd had given about the famous Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee from the HBO documentary The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee in which she gave a brief mention of Pretend I'm Not Here. That piqued my curiosity about the book, which I was delighted to find was available in my local library.
In Pretend I'm Not Here, Feinman Todd takes the reader on a journey through her journalistic career, which began with The Washington Post in the early 1980s. She, a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, was hired by The Post as a temporary 'copy aide', one of the lowliest jobs at the paper. By dint of hard work and showing a willingness to take on challenging assignments at The Post, Feinman Todd made the acquaintance of Bob Woodward of Watergate fame after being selected by him to serve as a researcher in the paper's investigative unit. Her work there would lead to Feinman Todd later serving as Woodward's personal researcher, contributing to his 1988 best-selling book 'Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987.' What's more: Feinman Todd would subsequently be introduced to Ben Bradlee, for whom she worked as a personal researcher for his 1995 autobiography, 'A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures.'
Feinman Todd went on to work as a ghost writer for a number of notable people in Washington including Senator Bob Kerrey and First Lady Hillary Clinton. Her reflections on what ghost writing entails and the ups and downs she experienced in the role of ghost writer were raw and refreshingly candid. As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in Washington since the early 1990s, I felt almost like a vicarious observer of Feinman Todd's life because some of her descriptions of the atmosphere and tempo of life in the city were very relatable to me.
This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading memoirs.
In Pretend I'm Not Here, Feinman Todd takes the reader on a journey through her journalistic career, which began with The Washington Post in the early 1980s. She, a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, was hired by The Post as a temporary 'copy aide', one of the lowliest jobs at the paper. By dint of hard work and showing a willingness to take on challenging assignments at The Post, Feinman Todd made the acquaintance of Bob Woodward of Watergate fame after being selected by him to serve as a researcher in the paper's investigative unit. Her work there would lead to Feinman Todd later serving as Woodward's personal researcher, contributing to his 1988 best-selling book 'Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987.' What's more: Feinman Todd would subsequently be introduced to Ben Bradlee, for whom she worked as a personal researcher for his 1995 autobiography, 'A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures.'
Feinman Todd went on to work as a ghost writer for a number of notable people in Washington including Senator Bob Kerrey and First Lady Hillary Clinton. Her reflections on what ghost writing entails and the ups and downs she experienced in the role of ghost writer were raw and refreshingly candid. As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in Washington since the early 1990s, I felt almost like a vicarious observer of Feinman Todd's life because some of her descriptions of the atmosphere and tempo of life in the city were very relatable to me.
This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading memoirs.
April 4, 2022
Really interesting perspective on the role of a ghostwriter, however, I wasn't crazy about her writing style. I was interested in this after listening to a podcast featuring the author as a guest and because of that, came in with some expectations that weren’t met. When I read what actually happened with one of the controversies she was involved in, it made her lose some credibility to me. The book reminded me of the saying “there are 3 versions of the truth: yours, mine and the actual truth.”
March 11, 2017
>i>Pretend I'm Not Here ... by Barbara Feinman Todd reads like a true story of a young woman's experiences with politics and power. It is notable partly because she gained access to key writers--Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and Ben Bradlee--shortly after she graduated from college, partly because she ghost wrote much of Hillary Clinton's book It Takes a Village, and partly because she discusses her experiences as a journalist, focusing on ethics.
Feinman Todd's account of her experiences reads quickly; she is clearly an accomplished writer. Moreover, her story has the appeal of taking the reader into what she calls the Washington Swamp.
She graduated from Berkeley and through a friend of her brother's gained an interview for a copy aide job at the Washington Post where she writes, "I basked in the reflected star power around me" (15).
It's not long before she is asking herself, ""Could it (journalism) be done well, and by well, I meant ethically and thoroughly, without doing harm? I didn't answer that question for myself then, and I'm still trying to answer it for my students even now, nearly thirty years later in my role as a journalism professor" (67).
"My father, who wanted me to follow my siblings to law school, warned early and often that I would struggle to make a living as a writer. He had grown up during the Depression and, though I didn't find this out until years after I graduated from college, ... his concern for me pursuing a career as a writer was really just his own fear projected.
"During the past twenty-four years, I have counseled hundreds of students whose hearts were pulling them toward newsrooms or publishing houses and their parents were tugging them toward law schoo. Go to law school if you yearn to be a lawyer. Become a writer if you yearn to write. Note that the last sentence lacks parallelism. I said if you 'yearn to write' not 'yearn to become a writer' There's a difference" (157).
Feinman Todd worked in the "Style Section" of the Post and often covered parties, noting that in that role, "... you're the only one at the table who can't drink" and "'important people aren't likely to talk to you. Or even register that you exist. You are completely and utterly invisible" (31).
She adds, "Covering parties gave me an education I wouldn't have found anywhere else. Important Washington business--networking and fund-raising--was conducted at these parties and at private ones closed to the press" (32).
Key aspects of the book involve Feinman Todd not being acknowledged as her contract specified for ghost writing Hillary Clinton's book (196), breaking a confidentiality agreement with Clinton when pressed by Bob Woodward (174) and having Woodward quote her anonymously when her identity was indisputable (236), being referred to in print as an example of Clinton's problems with the press (230), and coming to terms with the difference between writing other people's stories and writing your own (252-3).
Feinman Todd's account of her experiences reads quickly; she is clearly an accomplished writer. Moreover, her story has the appeal of taking the reader into what she calls the Washington Swamp.
She graduated from Berkeley and through a friend of her brother's gained an interview for a copy aide job at the Washington Post where she writes, "I basked in the reflected star power around me" (15).
It's not long before she is asking herself, ""Could it (journalism) be done well, and by well, I meant ethically and thoroughly, without doing harm? I didn't answer that question for myself then, and I'm still trying to answer it for my students even now, nearly thirty years later in my role as a journalism professor" (67).
"My father, who wanted me to follow my siblings to law school, warned early and often that I would struggle to make a living as a writer. He had grown up during the Depression and, though I didn't find this out until years after I graduated from college, ... his concern for me pursuing a career as a writer was really just his own fear projected.
"During the past twenty-four years, I have counseled hundreds of students whose hearts were pulling them toward newsrooms or publishing houses and their parents were tugging them toward law schoo. Go to law school if you yearn to be a lawyer. Become a writer if you yearn to write. Note that the last sentence lacks parallelism. I said if you 'yearn to write' not 'yearn to become a writer' There's a difference" (157).
Feinman Todd worked in the "Style Section" of the Post and often covered parties, noting that in that role, "... you're the only one at the table who can't drink" and "'important people aren't likely to talk to you. Or even register that you exist. You are completely and utterly invisible" (31).
She adds, "Covering parties gave me an education I wouldn't have found anywhere else. Important Washington business--networking and fund-raising--was conducted at these parties and at private ones closed to the press" (32).
Key aspects of the book involve Feinman Todd not being acknowledged as her contract specified for ghost writing Hillary Clinton's book (196), breaking a confidentiality agreement with Clinton when pressed by Bob Woodward (174) and having Woodward quote her anonymously when her identity was indisputable (236), being referred to in print as an example of Clinton's problems with the press (230), and coming to terms with the difference between writing other people's stories and writing your own (252-3).
January 27, 2018
One of the reasons I enjoyed the movie the Post so much was watching Meryl Streep's performance as Kay Graham. I could certainly identify with Graham's self-doubt and hesitancy before finding her voice and owning the powerful decision made at the heart of the film. What a delight then to pick up this book from my book pile and realize there were echoes here by Barbara Feinman Todd for a number of reasons. One--because Feinman Todd actually began her career at the Post and we get a different perspective of what it is like to work there at the start of your career especially as a young woman starting out. Two--because Feinman Todd worked directly for Ben Bradlee (and Woodward and Bernstein) researching important books for them. A major part of the books is also about her work for Hillary Clinton on It Takes a Village--so we really learn what it can be like to be caught up in a Clintonesque maelstrom. (Yikes!) So we also get a glimpse at the world of Washington D.C., the power, the intrigue and what it is like to work close with powerful people. Third--because in addition to teaching journalism, Feinman Todd is a book researcher, ghost writer and book doctor, so we get a good sense how that works and how her career plays out. Any writer or editor would find this of interest. And finally, because Feinman Todd does some soul searching and questions her own hesitancy at finding her own voice. All that time writing for others and taking on their voices--would she have been better off finding her own instead? My answer to Barbara Feinmann Todd is that I'm glad you've taken. Through you we have a record of those in Washington and now your own view. I hope to read more from this author.
January 12, 2018
Barbara Feinman Todd began her journalism career as in the late 1970's as a researcher for Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. Woodward recommended her to his former partner Carl Bernstein. That led to working with the legendary editor of the Post, Ben Bradlee. Todd's career as a researcher/ghostwriter was established. In the mid 1990's Hillary Clinton hired Todd to work on a book. Todd suggested the title: "It Takes a Village." She writes about the days and weeks she spent in the family quarters of the White House working on the book. Clinton did not acknowledge Todd's work or any other collaboration, stating only that "there were too many people to thank individually." Failure to name collaborators is very bad form, it turns out. Not only did Todd refuse to read the final book, but her colleagues and friends protested on her behalf. Life goes on. Todd got over the egregious omission (pretty much; it still hurts), married and started a family, and continues to teach journalism at Georgetown.
This timely memoir is wonderfully written. (And now I want to look up Clinton's current book to see the acknowledgements page.)
This timely memoir is wonderfully written. (And now I want to look up Clinton's current book to see the acknowledgements page.)
January 28, 2025
I thought this was an interesting exploration of a ghostwriter’s experiences and learnings after writing for D.C.’s elite, including Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, Bob Kerrey, and infamously Hillary Clinton.
This memoir takes the reader through Feinman Todd’s career, starting with her first job in news. It is an easy read even if you’re not familiar with the players.
I’m glad the author waited almost 20 years after Clinton’s book to write this. Some of the emotions have dulled, lending to more perspective and thoughtfulness.
I think the audiobook narrator should have been more seasoned. She comes across as so young and doesn’t match any of the pictures I’ve come across of Feinman Todd.
This memoir takes the reader through Feinman Todd’s career, starting with her first job in news. It is an easy read even if you’re not familiar with the players.
I’m glad the author waited almost 20 years after Clinton’s book to write this. Some of the emotions have dulled, lending to more perspective and thoughtfulness.
I think the audiobook narrator should have been more seasoned. She comes across as so young and doesn’t match any of the pictures I’ve come across of Feinman Todd.
May 15, 2017
Barbara Feinman Todd, in "Pretend I'm Not Here," recounts her experiences as a ghostwriter for such luminaries as Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, Bob Kerrey, and Hillary Clinton. Todd's journey took her "from researcher to book doctor, to collaborator, to ghost." She confides that, "Like Woody Allen's Zelig character, I found myself orbiting on the periphery of people in the public eye." Although hobnobbing with men and women who shaped public opinion was intoxicating, Barbara feared that she was paying too high a price. Instead of pursuing a career that would allow her to express herself freely, she silenced her inner voice and rendered herself invisible.
With a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, the author describes her stint as a copy aide for the Washington Post, which led to her working with Woodward on his book, "Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987." Woodward became Barbara's mentor. Just transcribing his interviews "was a master class in technique, persistence, and finesse." This job led to others, and Barbara eventually earned enough to live nicely and, for a while, she felt like an insider. On the other hand, she was at the beck and call of whoever was paying her, and she felt her sense of identity eroding. Ultimately, she was hurt by a series of betrayals that she could not have foreseen. Fortunately, she found other avenues, such as teaching journalism at Georgetown University, marrying, and becoming a mother that brought her the fulfillment she craved.
Todd is implicitly cautioning young people who are starting out to carefully consider how they want to spend their lives. Although Barbara enjoyed associating with talented authors and famous politicians, she realizes that for too long she failed to nurture herself emotionally and professionally. Her experiences also taught her to be careful whom you trust; sometimes the most unlikely people will turn on you. This breezy and literate memoir is an enlightening and entertaining look at the life and times of a former ghostwriter, as well as an exploration of the false values and chicanery of influential but unprincipled individuals in our nation's capital and other corridors of power.
With a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, the author describes her stint as a copy aide for the Washington Post, which led to her working with Woodward on his book, "Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987." Woodward became Barbara's mentor. Just transcribing his interviews "was a master class in technique, persistence, and finesse." This job led to others, and Barbara eventually earned enough to live nicely and, for a while, she felt like an insider. On the other hand, she was at the beck and call of whoever was paying her, and she felt her sense of identity eroding. Ultimately, she was hurt by a series of betrayals that she could not have foreseen. Fortunately, she found other avenues, such as teaching journalism at Georgetown University, marrying, and becoming a mother that brought her the fulfillment she craved.
Todd is implicitly cautioning young people who are starting out to carefully consider how they want to spend their lives. Although Barbara enjoyed associating with talented authors and famous politicians, she realizes that for too long she failed to nurture herself emotionally and professionally. Her experiences also taught her to be careful whom you trust; sometimes the most unlikely people will turn on you. This breezy and literate memoir is an enlightening and entertaining look at the life and times of a former ghostwriter, as well as an exploration of the false values and chicanery of influential but unprincipled individuals in our nation's capital and other corridors of power.
June 13, 2017
I just did not like this as much as I was hoping. Feinman Todd came off as entitled and annoying. Also, as soon as finished it, I couldn't even remember the title. Not exactly the impression you want to leave your reader.
2 very unenthusiastic stars out 5.
2 very unenthusiastic stars out 5.
January 28, 2023
Amazing, resonant story of the awakening of a woman who found her own voice after years as a successful ghost writer. As a woman, trained journalist, consultant to the more powerful, and long-time political junkie who has lived in The Swamp for most of her life, this book rings true to me. As Todd tells us, citing an adage, “…until the lion has a historian, the hunter will always be the hero.”
The book is a juicy read and giddy with exciting inside stories until it isn’t: years of speaking as and on behalf of others take their toll, and Todd’s voice becomes sour, weary, and introspective. As Todd says, she was a friend (e.g., human being) before she was a journalist (e.g., professional)—a sure way to be a victim of the power game in any workplace milieu. Over time, the underlying dynamic of supplicating her identity to shrewd gladiators who always play the power game becomes clear to Todd. It renders her both angry and sad. Her stories of being played by both Bob Woodward and Hillary Clinton bring home the professional and personal hazards one suffers when one lets down one’s guard with those who are expert at winning the power game, especially for those who do not realize that they are fellow contestants.
The book is a juicy read and giddy with exciting inside stories until it isn’t: years of speaking as and on behalf of others take their toll, and Todd’s voice becomes sour, weary, and introspective. As Todd says, she was a friend (e.g., human being) before she was a journalist (e.g., professional)—a sure way to be a victim of the power game in any workplace milieu. Over time, the underlying dynamic of supplicating her identity to shrewd gladiators who always play the power game becomes clear to Todd. It renders her both angry and sad. Her stories of being played by both Bob Woodward and Hillary Clinton bring home the professional and personal hazards one suffers when one lets down one’s guard with those who are expert at winning the power game, especially for those who do not realize that they are fellow contestants.
May 27, 2017
Unique insight into working Washington from a journalist turned ghostwriter for Senator Bob Kerrey, then First Lady Hillary Clinton, and other famous names. If you like politics as spectator sport, this is your book. Also of interest is the historical setting, not only of 1980's and 1990's US politics, but also of the personal experience of a young woman professional. We have come a long way...haven't we? Well-researched (well, of course!) with levity enriching the telling. Do read.
May 30, 2024
I heard about this book when the author did an interview on Sarah’s Bookshelves Live podcast and have been eager to read it. I appreciated the author’s generous candor with behind-the-scenes details of the world of ghostwriting. I wished for resolution on a few open questions - but this would be impossible since these remain open mysteries to the author too - that’s life.
May 25, 2024
‘So there it is, my life in an eggshell: my desire to be a writer, my desire to please, my complicity in my own disappearance, and my meek protest against that very fact.’
I picked up this book to meet one of the categories for a reading challenge I am participating in. Yes, I was looking for a book written by a ghost writer, and Barbara Feinman Todd certainly fits the bill. Yes, she was Hillary Clinton’s ghost writer for ‘It Takes a Village’. She also worked with Bob Woodward, first as a research assistant and then researching ‘Veil’, his book on the CIA. While I’ve read both books, I have not read two other books she assisted with: Carl Bernstein’s ‘Loyalties’ or Ben Bradlee’s A Good Life’.
Here in Australia, I was unaware that ‘Feinman Todd’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the book’s creation, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House appeared in one of his books.’. But I can imagine how these events (especially the disclosure to Woodward) haunted Ms Feinman Todd. Discretion is surely paramount for ghost writers.
Ms Feinman Todd wanted to write novels but realised that she had a better chance of earning an income as a ghost writer. A realistic, but I imagine difficult, decision.
‘But I had built up a solid reputation as a book doctor, and this town would never have a shortage of people who wanted to “author” books but couldn’t or didn’t want to write them themselves. I had to make a living. It wasn’t realistic to think I could do that by writing novels, even if I managed to get one published.
Was it time to make my peace with being a “craftswoman” as Hanan so kindly put it? What did it mean that I had gravitated to work that required —or allowed? —me to be silent and invisible?
Was it really so different from the fiction I longed to write?
Was it time to give up on my fiction, even my own voice, and be grateful for what I had: a steady income and a comfortable life?’
For me, Ms Feinman Todd comes across as an observant and thorough researcher, as a thoughtful writer who was trying to find her place in a world full of urgency, egos, and testosterone.
Barbara Feinman Todd retired in 2017 after twenty-five years of teaching at Georgetown University.
‘Until the lion has a historian’ goes the adage, ‘the hunter will always be the hero.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I picked up this book to meet one of the categories for a reading challenge I am participating in. Yes, I was looking for a book written by a ghost writer, and Barbara Feinman Todd certainly fits the bill. Yes, she was Hillary Clinton’s ghost writer for ‘It Takes a Village’. She also worked with Bob Woodward, first as a research assistant and then researching ‘Veil’, his book on the CIA. While I’ve read both books, I have not read two other books she assisted with: Carl Bernstein’s ‘Loyalties’ or Ben Bradlee’s A Good Life’.
Here in Australia, I was unaware that ‘Feinman Todd’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the book’s creation, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House appeared in one of his books.’. But I can imagine how these events (especially the disclosure to Woodward) haunted Ms Feinman Todd. Discretion is surely paramount for ghost writers.
Ms Feinman Todd wanted to write novels but realised that she had a better chance of earning an income as a ghost writer. A realistic, but I imagine difficult, decision.
‘But I had built up a solid reputation as a book doctor, and this town would never have a shortage of people who wanted to “author” books but couldn’t or didn’t want to write them themselves. I had to make a living. It wasn’t realistic to think I could do that by writing novels, even if I managed to get one published.
Was it time to make my peace with being a “craftswoman” as Hanan so kindly put it? What did it mean that I had gravitated to work that required —or allowed? —me to be silent and invisible?
Was it really so different from the fiction I longed to write?
Was it time to give up on my fiction, even my own voice, and be grateful for what I had: a steady income and a comfortable life?’
For me, Ms Feinman Todd comes across as an observant and thorough researcher, as a thoughtful writer who was trying to find her place in a world full of urgency, egos, and testosterone.
Barbara Feinman Todd retired in 2017 after twenty-five years of teaching at Georgetown University.
‘Until the lion has a historian’ goes the adage, ‘the hunter will always be the hero.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 11, 2017
"I admit, I'd never heard of Barbara Feinman Todd before, having been too young to remember the controversy over Hillary Clinton's book 'It Takes a Village' when it was published. But I am a political junkie, so the premise of her new book 'Pretend I'm Not Here,' was pretty intriguing! Feinman Todd presents a fascinating memoir of her life as a ghostwriter for such luminaries as Bob Woodward, Ben Bradlee, and Hillary Clinton. Her collaboration with Clinton for "It Takes a Village" resulted in the mini-scandal 'Thank-yougate' after Feinman Todd's contribution to the book went without acknowledgement. This moment of brief notoriety lead eventually to testimony before a Congressional committee, much to the chagrin of a writer who preferred working away from the spotlight. More than a book about her interactions with Washington elite (entertaining though that is), she reflects on how she came to be a ghost writer, and how she became so comfortable with adapting the narrative voice of those she worked with. These different threads combine to form an engrossing read," - Brady
August 1, 2020
You know this book is really interesting because it gets into something that I really didn't know anything about: ghost writing. The author of this book started as a copy girl at the Washington Post. She spent years at the post writing and getting smaller stories published attending parties and making connections until she finally became a researcher for Bob Woodward.
After that she was both doing research and editing books for Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and also Ben Bradlee.
This book is funny as hell but it gets really interesting when she is selected by Hillary Clinton to write her book, "It takes a Village". The drama surrounding getting that book published is one of the most fascinating parts of the book and also showing you how Washington DC really operates. Her experiences are powerful but I laughed a lot in this book the author is really funny in sharing her experiences...
After that she was both doing research and editing books for Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and also Ben Bradlee.
This book is funny as hell but it gets really interesting when she is selected by Hillary Clinton to write her book, "It takes a Village". The drama surrounding getting that book published is one of the most fascinating parts of the book and also showing you how Washington DC really operates. Her experiences are powerful but I laughed a lot in this book the author is really funny in sharing her experiences...
January 28, 2020
Barbara Feinman Todd writes in a compelling fashion, which I didn’t find surprising given her prolific experience in writing for others. However, despite selecting the book in an interest for a part memoir, part hearing about the rubbing shoulders with famous people, I found a deeper message throughout. Feinman Todd manages to offer a succinct message in the book, which is the importance of maintaining your own identity. Throughout the book she reflects on experiences and decisions in a thoughtful manner, offering candid opinions and regrets. I appreciated her honesty and authenticity in telling her own story, which can be a lot harder than telling others. Overall a great book and a worthwhile read.
May 21, 2025
“The fiction writer, the ghostwriter, and the thespian all get to test-drive personas in the safety of the creative process. Looking back, it unsettles me how seamlessly I took on the role of an emotional chameleon. I want to believe that the gravitational pull between me and ghosting was empathy, but it was more likely a defense mechanism. It was much less of a risk to work on other people's books-or so I thought-than to pursue my own projects.”
a really solid read. it has all the juicy details you’d hope for in a book about a Washington outsider becoming an insider — maybe against her better judgment — without being too gossipy. it was a pretty straightforward journalist’s memoir. even then some of the anecdotes i could’ve done without. don’t ask why this took me a month to read idk
a really solid read. it has all the juicy details you’d hope for in a book about a Washington outsider becoming an insider — maybe against her better judgment — without being too gossipy. it was a pretty straightforward journalist’s memoir. even then some of the anecdotes i could’ve done without. don’t ask why this took me a month to read idk
August 28, 2017
I saw this book at a local bookstore and was immediately drawn in by the cover, and I was not disappointed. Barabara Feinman Todd didn't sugarcoat the story, making it more relatable without making it boring. Having a woman's perspective on the political world, especially a perspective of Washington DC, was refreshing change from the male dominated political scene. Very inspiring, 10/10, would recommend.
March 15, 2019
This is a fascinating look into a profession that might have appealed to me at one time. The author does a nice job explaining the nuances of the job and her view of how best to approach such work. It is by no means clinical or dry but an engaging, warm description of her personal approach and concomitant insecurities that seem to come with the ghostwriting territory . Her personal story is equally interesting.
February 23, 2024
Loved the chronicles of an up-and-coming journalist in the major newspaper outlet, the beginning of the book shined for me and was getting so invested in it, later on as she details the books she was working on thought her career, I found it to be hard to keep up with all the back stories and these Washington characters. But I like the easy flow of her writing, a lot of wise quotes, personal life anecdotes, and the way she writes about her life and people in it is captivating.
January 27, 2020
I would probably appreciate this book more if I knew more of the players. Todd obviously writes well and crafts the story of her time in DC and the powerful people she worked with. As someone living in the DC space but not in politics I was intrigued by her journey and insights about knowledge being currency and the power in telling.
June 5, 2018
Very interesting look inside the world of ghostwriting and how difficult it is to compose a book in another person's voice. The chapters detailing her work with Hillary Clinton on "It takes a village..." were particularly revealing.
November 5, 2019
Interesting insight
I oddly felt most reassured that she met her husband in her 30s
Also her career and it’s careening trajectories were also reassuring
Plus interesting to get insight into the industry from someone whose orbited intersected with many I know
I oddly felt most reassured that she met her husband in her 30s
Also her career and it’s careening trajectories were also reassuring
Plus interesting to get insight into the industry from someone whose orbited intersected with many I know
March 30, 2022
This was interesting. A behind the scenes look at ghostwriting for some famous people in Washington including Hilary Clinton. This would probably only be interesting to people who love politics or are writers.
May 8, 2017
Excellent! A clear attempt to give a balanced representation of situations, and let the facts speak for themselves. Informative and impressive.
July 22, 2017
I randomly picked this off the shelf and loved it! The author's behind-the-scenes description of the swamp that is Washington, D. C. was like candy for this political junkie.
August 6, 2017
Interesting due to so many characters one has actually heard of .
April 10, 2018
Very interesting account of working with Hillary before she was the most qualified candidate.
April 14, 2018
I only put this down when my sister's water broke and my Auntie duties were 24/7 for three days. A really great read that finished too soon!!
May 21, 2018
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Ellen J. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
July 27, 2018
Enjoyed it, especially when she said about federal Washington, “It’s a town full of posers, pretenders, inflaters, imposters, takers, and fakers.” What’s not to like? 3.5
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