It's Hotter Than Potter: Exception to the Rulers Book Tour Salutes Independents

Popular populist journalist Amy Goodman, with brother David, has written Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them, published in April by Hyperion. Coinciding with the book's release, Goodman, along with the operations of the radio and television program she hosts, Democracy Now!, launched a national tour to almost 100 cities. The tour is billed as a celebration of independent media, and co-sponsors include many cable access television programs, listener-sponsored radio stations, public radio and television stations, and independent bookstores. Local independent stores have sold the book to capacity crowds that have attended most every venue. According to Newsweek on the Web, part of the mainstream media that is often a target of the Goodmans, "More than 1,000 people came out to hear her speak in New York City and in California at Fresno, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. More than 2,000 people came out to her book signing in Los Angeles."

Newsweek on the Web added, "Depending on your own brand of politics, you either view Amy Goodman as a crusader, a kook, a nuisance, a threat, or a hero. But one thing is almost irrefutable: she has courage. In nearly 10 years as the controversial host of the liberal Pacifica Radio network's Democracy Now! program, Goodman has witnessed (and narrowly escaped) a massacre in East Timor, been threatened by Nigeria's 'kill 'n' go' military police while trespassing on Chevron's oil fields, and reported for several straight days from ground zero after the September 11 attacks."

Now, through the book, the tour, and her daily program, Goodman, and her journalist brother, aim "to go to where the silence is, to give voice to the silenced majority." She targets the Bush administration, war profiteering in Iraq, corruption in media monopolies, corporate influence on the government, and most adamantly, the failure of journalists to report on these events and issues accurately and thoroughly.

Midway through the exhaustive book tour, Bookselling This Week interviewed Goodman intermittently, on her cell phone, as she boarded and deplaned a flight, dashed through an airport, trekked through an unidentified town, then entered and exited a subway. While making appearances before audiences of up to several thousand, Goodman continues to host, with Juan Gonzales, the daily, award-winning news program, The War and Peace Report from Democracy Now!, airing on over 240 stations via Pacifica, community, and public radio, community access cable television, satellite television, shortwave radio, and the Internet.

At every stop, Goodman calls attention to the importance of all forms of independent media, including bookstores. "In this time of media consolidation," Goodman told BTW, "I really appreciate these outlets. In each place we give a major talk, always incorporating bookstores into the mix -- describing what an important part they play. It's critical to shore up all independent media and not take any of them for granted. People are realizing that [those who come to the events] are not just a fringe minority -- there are also conservatives who care deeply about corporate control. It's wonderful to see the community that grows during the event."

Amy Goodman at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, an event that drew a crowd of more than 2,300 people. Photo courtesy of BlueDarwin.com.

Booksellers from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles to Boulder and Minneapolis have been delighted to participate in Goodman's book tour events because of the excitement and crowds the appearances generate, the new communities of like-minded people formed, and the very large numbers of books sold. Goodman told BTW that a favorite comment came from Louise Erdrich, author and owner of Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, who called Exception to the Rulers, "hotter than Potter" in their community.

Nancy Braus, co-owner of Everyone's Books in Brattleboro, Vermont, told BTW after the Goodmans' May 22 appearance, "She's the best bookselling person I've ever seen. On a Saturday afternoon in our small town of 12,500, 400 people showed up to see the presentation, which included a video, a half-hour talk by David [Goodman], and then Amy spoke for an hour. After over two hours, everyone would have stayed longer. Many of the people enthusiastically purchased the Goodmans' book, waiting on a long line for the opportunity to talk with the authors and get their new books signed. People were so happy that two weeks afterward, customers were still thanking me."

As in many of the stops, the Brattleboro event was co-sponsored by the bookstore and several progressive community organizations and media. The groups here included Radio Free Brattleboro, a micropower station currently denied licensing by the FCC, and Know Media. Braus said, "Amy Goodman is a hero to many in Brattleboro, a town currently fighting to maintain an independent voice in radio and newspaper. The extremely popular editor of the local newspaper was recently fired for political reasons -- she was too progressive for the chain that owns the paper. The event was a celebration of independent media, with Amy and David both praising the virtues of locally owned bookstores."

In the first phase of the tour, Goodman visited stores in New York, California, and Colorado. At the Tattered Cover in Denver, she highlighted the privacy issues that have brought owner Joyce Meskis acclaim as well as considerable legal problems. "Joyce's position is so principled. We were honored to appear with her. Bookstores are specifically affected by this Administration's stifling of independent voices -- through Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. We talk about it to booksellers and librarians everywhere we go."

At a recent appearance at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida, 2,329 people attended the ticketed event, according to Inkwood Books' manager Stephen Hammill. The event was co-sponsored by WMNF public radio and cable-TV program Speak Up Tampa Bay. Goodman called the event "unbelievable," and Hammill agreed that it was a remarkably large and enthusiastic crowd.

Goodman continues to find the tour exhilarating. "It's so exciting to bring together independent bookstores and radio and TV stations -- to have everyone in one room.... For [independent] booksellers, the books are not 'product' -- these people have actually read the books and are interested in them. Our book may now fly under the corporate media radar, but many booksellers are familiar with our program and the book. We're in our sixth printing, and they are going very fast." Her admiration of bookstores is readily apparent when she described them as "sanctuaries, national treasures -- it's where we can tap into the wisdom of people who we can't meet in person. They are wonderful places where people can exchange ideas."

Stores interested in setting up an event can e-mail a proposal to Denis Moynihan at [email protected]. He can also be reached at (917) 549-5000. For more information about Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!, go to www.democracynow.org/index.pl. --Nomi Schwartz