Former President Barack Obama reportedly said that he continues working to complete his memoir while wife Michelle has seen her autobiography sell millions — but “she had a ghostwriter.”
Michelle’s memoir, “Becoming,” was released in 2018 and continues to sell, according to a New York Times report published Sunday.
US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with former US President Barack Obama (C) and former vice-President Joe Biden after being sworn in as President on Jan. 20, 2017 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. / AFP / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
“She had a ghostwriter,” Obama reportedly admitted to a friend who inquired how Michelle put her work together so quickly. “I am writing every word myself, and that’s why it’s taking longer.” (RELATED: ‘In A Heartbeat’: Biden Says He Would Pick Michelle Obama For Vice President)
The Times story describes the former president as “a deliberate writer prone to procrastination.”
It’s not the first time that reports have emerged of Obama comparing his literary achievements to those of his wife. The former president “is feeling competitive with his wife,” Edward Isaac-Dovere wrote in a Business Insider story from May 23, 2019.
“Sources note he’ll occasionally point out in conversation that he’s writing this book himself, while Michelle used a ghostwriter,” Isaac-Dovere continued. (RELATED: How Much Will Obama’s Endorsement Help Joe Biden? History Says Not Much)
The Atlantic first reported that Michelle Obama had used a ghostwriter for her memoir and, quoting anonymous sources, suggested that Obama was “feeling competitive” over the book’s overwhelming success.
Former first lady Michelle Obama waves on stage at the AccorHotels Arena during a book tour to promote her memoir “Becoming” in Paris, France, Apr. 16, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
The article also notes that timing the release of the former president’s book has been difficult, given the considerable influence Obama still exercised in the Democratic Party as it went through a divisive presidential nomination process.
Until presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s resurgence in the Democratic primaries, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed his hope that both Barack and Michelle Obama would “broker a deal” before the Democratic convention.