That’s all you need to know, right? James Comey is writing a book, and it will likely be published some time in the future. It’s probably obvious what he’s writing about, or perhaps you can just assume that the “writing” will end up being a series of books (just a guess). There is really so much to tell…
Something about the situation reminds me of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, where Atticus Finch stood up to all the townspeople. Yes, I admit, I see literary connections everywhere. It could be true that Comey doesn’t deserve to be compared with Atticus. (Perhaps his book will offer further insight.)
What has been striking to me is the number of people who have come forward in defense of Comey, saying: “He’s a good and honorable man.” That sounds like something that you might say about Atticus (at least the version that you see in To Kill a Mockingbird)…
Times Have Changed…
It’s true that this is not the world of Atticus. You’d like to think that we’ve evolved, perhaps even gotten better. Then, we see the drama played out on the public stage, and you have to decide how to react: ignore, get angry (for one side or the other) or accept it.
Then, again, maybe it hasn’t changed as much as we imagined. Perhaps it’s time to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, to acquaint ourselves with the nature of courage again. Remember when Atticus said to Scout, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
James Comey, The Writer
Although we could slog through his legal briefs (as reporters no doubt have done), you’ve got to be at least a little curious about what kind of writer James Comey is, or will become. Now, with the news that he’s writing a book, the publishing world is a-flurry. Represented by Keith Urbahn and Matt Latimer, partners at the literary agency Javelin, he won’t have to worry about further rejection. Publishers are reportedly clambering to get their hands on his manuscript.
For their part, Latimer says: “It’s a book about leadership and his search for truth, informed by lessons and experiences he’s had throughout his career, including his recent experiences in the Trump administration.”