“If I had lied to the CIA, perhaps I might have passed a test. Instead of writing a book about the White House, I’d be poisoning a drug kingpin with a dart gun concealed inside a slightly larger dart gun,… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“By New Year’s Eve I was mired in the kind of existential funk that leads people to find Jesus, or the Paleo diet, or Ayn Rand.” — David Litt Copy Share Image
“What I hadn’t realized was that, above all else, Favs was a prodigy. Speechwriters, even great ones, tend to lead either from the head… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“In 1960, a mere 5 percent of Americans said they would be upset if their child married someone from the opposite party. A half… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“But as the weeks rolled on, I realized it wasn’t a lack of glamour that was bothering me. Instead, I kept thinking back to… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“The cost of living the dream, I was taught, is the responsibility to expand it for others. It’s a more than fair price.” — David Litt Copy Share Image
“This is the most common misconception about speechwriting. It came up especially often in the years before I started at the White House, when… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“In the real world, speechwriters are more like personal trainers than puppet masters. They can help you present the most attractive version of yourself… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“The firm’s fourth partner, Jeff Nussbaum, had carved out a niche writing jokes for public figures. It was he who taught me about the… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“I was lucky to receive it. Most rogue interns never get a second chance. And here it’s worth mentioning that I benefited from what… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“If I had lied to the CIA, perhaps I might have passed a test. Instead of writing a book about the White House, I’d… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“Some of the leaders of the backlash said their name was an acronym for “Taxed Enough Already.” Maybe this was true at first. But… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“Some accomplishments, in other words, are impossible to undo. Millions of people found jobs thanks to Obama’s decisions. Soldiers who spent Christmas 2008 in… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“If you’re working with a writer, chances are you’re an expert. And if you’re an expert, chances are you’re boring. You can’t help it.… — David Litt Copy Share Image
“Barack Obama’s election was a triumph of hope. But his presidency was a triumph of persistence.” — David Litt Copy Share Image
“And then I saw him speak. Years later, after writing dozens upon dozens of presidential speeches, it would become impossible to listen to rhetoric… — David Litt Copy Share Image
