Former Obama speechwriter Cody Keenan, author of Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America

ABOUT CODY KEENAN AND GRACEGRACE: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND TEN DAYS IN THE BATTLE FOR AMERICA (Mariner Books, October 4, 2022) is the riveting story of the most exhilarating and emotional stretch of the Obama presidency, told by the man Obama calls his "Hemingway," his longtime collaborator and chief speechwriter, Cody Keenan.GRACE is a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the Obama presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions (the right to health care for working families and the right for same-sex couples to marry) put the character of our country on the line. Cody Keenan takes the readers deep inside the White House to offer the most intimate glimpse into process, procrastination, and crafting speeches at the highest level with Barack Obama, including:· What happens inside the West Wing after a mass shooting, from someone who's written more eulogies after such tragedies than anyone else on the planet· Heated Oval Office debates over how and whether to speak that week at all· A late-night writing session in the First Family's private residence· Obama's innermost thoughts on race and his use that week of the one word you can't say· And the moment on Marine One when Obama decided to take a leap of faith in a soaring sermon and surprise everybody by leading the country in a chorus of "Amazing Grace."In the rarest of White House memoirs, Keenan masterfully narrates the propulsive story of those ten days and offers an intimate look at where we've been and where we can go on our American journey toward progress and hope.ABOUT CODY KEENANCody Keenan rose from a campaign intern in Chicago to become chief speechwriter at the White House and Barack Obama's post-presidential collaborator. A sought-after expert on politics, messaging, and current affairs, he is a partner at leading speechwriting firm Fenway Strategies and teaches a popular course on political speechwriting at his alma mater Northwestern University. He lives in New York City with his wife Kristen and their daughter Gracie.Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-President-Obama-Battle-America/dp/0358651891Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.Subscribe now at YouTube.com/@RefocusedNetworkThank you for your time.