Jan 4, 2010

Memories of the Ford Administration | Related Titles

"I wanted to write a historical novel about James Buchanan," says Updike, "a fascinating man, at least to me. I did so much research I began to dream about him." The research, however, would not lend itself to fiction, and Updike must have felt some of the frustration that he later gives to Professor Clayton. "Having told a number of reviewers I was writing a book about Buchanan," admits Updike, "I painted him black and put him in Rabbit Redux." The last president to compromise the issue of slavery is thus ironically transformed into a black co-worker for Rabbit at the Verity...