For many of us who grew up in the early 1970s, Richard Nixon was almost a storybook figure, his iconic visage glowering from hundreds of political cartoons, his resignation speech one of our “where were you when” moments. (At Summer camp, eating supper in silence while listening to the radio, since you asked).
As years go by, his administration and persona continue to fascinate, and invite fresh views on the big screen ranging from the true life thriller All the President’s Men to Oliver Stone’s sweeping biopic Nixon, from Robert Altman’s intense psychological Secret Honor to the sweetly comic Dick to Sean Penn’s riveting performance as one of history’s not-quites in The Assassination of President Nixon. Most recently we have seen Frost/Nixon, a feature film based on a stage play, itself adapted from a television interview.
The national tour of Frost/Nixon, with a critically acclaimed star turn by Stacy Keach, is coming to the Paramount in May. In anticipation of that show rolling into town, The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Theatre Group will host Political Spin: A Conversation about Frost/Nixon and the Role of Media in Politics on Saturday, April 25, at 2:00 PM at the Central Library. Steve Scher, KUOW’s Weekday Senior Host, will moderate the discussion with panelists Knute Berger, Crosscut.com columnist, Lynne Varner, Seattle Times Opinion writer and columnist, and Mark A. Smith, UW Professor of Political Science and Communications. This is sure to be a lively and stimulating program you won’t want to miss!
For those wanting to dig a little deeper, there are a couple of relevant recent titles amidst the vast body of Nixonia: James Reston’s Conviction of Richard Nixon: the Untold Story of the Frost Nixon interviews, and Frost/Nixon: Behind the Scenes of the Nixon Interviews, by David Frost. Gerald and Deborah Strober’s Nixon: An Oral History of His Presidency provides a kaleidoscopic view of the man from those who loved and loathed him, and many in between. 
And for other interesting Nixon duets, try Robert Dallek’s Nixon and Kissinger, Margaret MacMillan’s Nixon and Mao, or if facts aren’t your bag, try Jonathan Lowy’s surreal novel Elvis and Nixon, or Nixon/Carver by Mark Maxwell, in which the disgraced president meets the rough-hewn Northwest author Raymond Carver.
~ Bob T & David W
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