Bristol Palin's Book Comes Out, Like, Tomorrow

Bristol Palin is definitely writing a book, it’s going to be called Not Afraid of Life, and it’s coming out this summer. Hope the ghostwriters are working fast!

Galleycat has a synopsis:

Bristol gives readers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at her life for the first time, from growing up in Alaska to coming of age amid the media and political frenzy surrounding her mother’s political rise; from becoming a single mother while still a teenager to coping as her relationship with her baby’s father crumbled publicly — not once, but twice. Bristol talks about the highs and lows of her appearance on ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” including the aching hours of practice, the biting criticisms, and the thrill of getting to the show’s finals. She speaks candidly of her aspirations for the future and the deep religious faith that gives her strength and inspiration. Plainspoken and disarmingly down to earth, Bristol offers new insight and understanding of who she is and what she values most.

Unless you believe Bristol already had the manuscript lying around someplace, some ghostwriter’s going to have to crank out that insight and understanding real fuckin’ quick. Of course, there’s nothing new about celebrities using ghostwriters — but what is surprising is the sheer speed with which the Palin clan insists on cranking out their books. I’m aware that as a blogger I don’t really have a leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing quick-and-dirty writing — but still, back in my day, Real Actual Books took at least as long to complete as a season on Dancing With the Stars. But Sarah Palin and her daughter seem intent on marketing their books as an extension of their brand, bringing them out when it’s best for Palin, Inc. and not when they actually have something to say. And the books themselves seem less like actual intellectual — or even ideological — efforts than pegs for public appearances and media blitzes. Maybe Bristol will prove us wrong and make Not Afraid of Life a thoughtful meditation on the difficulties of being the young scion of a famous, and famously reviled, political family. But the clock is against her.