It’s been almost four years since President Barack Obama‘s memoir A Promised Land was published on Nov. 17, 2020 as Volume 1 of a planned two-volume series.
There has been little information since on when Volume 2 will be ready, with no release date set. During A+E Networks’ History Talks event Saturday, Obama indicated that the new tome is nearing completion.
“I’m writing, hopefully eventually this will be done next year, the second volume of my Presidential memoir,” he said during an interview with Malcolm Gladwell.
He teased Vol. 2 with an anecdote, which is included in the book, about him taking his young daughters to the MLK Jr. memorial ahead of its August 22, 2011 opening.
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As they looked up, “it was this wonderful metaphor, because it’s this placid stone, marble figure, and he’s looking out the distance, and he’s holding something,” Obama said. “And you’re just thinking this, some guy in his 30s who has the weight of the world and the nation and is trying to channel his faith and the sacrifices that he knows he’s putting his family through. There are these waters, these currents, under this placid surface.”
He elaborated that “what’s remarkable about King is this natural sort of steadiness, this eye of the storm quality even though we know that personally, he’s going through enormous turmoil and fear and doubt. it’s one of those true expressions of faith, because of the doubt and courage, because of the fear that you see In him, and yet he doesn’t let it show.”
The visit to the MLK Jr. memorial comes right after the events in Vol. 1 of A Promised Land, which documents Obama’s life from his early years through to the events surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
In his typical style, Obama was self-deprecating during the interview, poking fun at the infamous Web site glitches at the launch of Obamacare, and he also had a witty response when asked about what Presidential term in history he would’ve absolutely not wanted to serve.
“Well, look, I think it’s a given that Barack Hussein Obama being president in the 1800s, factoring that out,” he said to a laugh from the audience. “It was hard enough in 2008, processing that for a lot of folks.”
In addition to Obama, the list of high-profile panelists at History Speaks 2024 included Obama’s White House predecessor, George W. Bush, Hollywood A-listers Kate Winslet, Kevin Costner, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria and John Legend as well as several historians.
For Deadline’s full coverage, read Kate Winslet Calls Out Different Standards For Male & Female Actors, Kevin Costner Explains Why His Movies Are So Long.
The brainchild of A+E Networks Group president Paul Buccieri, History Talks has been held for several years, primarily in DC. This year’s Los Angeles-based edition was designed to raise awareness for The Roybal Film and Television Magnet in downtown L.A. The LAUSD school, serving children from underrepresented backgrounds interested in Hollywood careers, with about 200 students from the school in the audience.
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