Books for the post-election blues

A Spectrum, by David Cheezem

Forty-two candidates lost out in last month's statewide primary election. Their families, their friends, their volunteers put a lot of sweat into that campaign. And I can imagine what it's like right now, after months of fund-raising, strategizing, going door-to-door. Campaigning is such an intense time, and it all ends so suddenly.

And now: Lots of quiet. This is a time to sit down with a good book, unwind, let the disappointment and anger run its course -- and then, when you're ready, to start thinking about the next step. So here's my reading list for the post-election blues. These are the books I would recommend to anyone who has worked hard on a campaign only to see the voters bubble the "wrong" candidate.

Shakespeare in a Box: King Lear. (Workman Publishing Co.) Here's a fun send-off for your campaign staff. It's a parlor activity kit with sets of script adapted from Shakespeare's most popular tragedy. You remember the play: King Lear shuns his daughter Cordelia for her more flattering sisters. Hint: You are Cordelia. The voters are King Lear and they voted for Goneril. The kit comes with great props -- a stage knife, two vinyl eyeballs, and a cap -- and instructions for a 45-minute performance.

Wealth and Democracy by Kevin Phillips. (Broadway Books) You'll want to feel that losing had nothing to do with your merits as a candidate -- and everything to do with the concentration of wealth in the other guy's camp. And that's exactly how you will feel after reading this book.

Revenge: A Story of Hope by Laura Blumenfeld. (Simon & Schuster Books) This one has nothing at all to do with the election -- at least, I hope not. But the title might seem attractive right now. And it is a great book, about a reporter who confronts a terrorist who shot her father.

Two Old Women by Velma Wallis, Perennial. (HarperCollins) If you haven't read this book yet, shame on you. But it's worth a second, or third, or fourth reading after losing an election. Remember, the voters cast out the two old women in this book. These women didn't think they would survive, but they did -- and more.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. (Modern Library) You might be feeling discouraged about the whole political process right now. This book (the first of a two-volume biography) will recover your spirits, and perhaps your idealism. It shows how one person with an incredible amount of energy, good sense and moral fortitude was able to barrel his way to the top without sacrificing his own character.

Our Nation's Archive: The History of the United States in Documents edited by Erik Bruun and Jay Crosby. (Black Dog & Levanthal Publishers) Here's the inspiration and ammunition for the next election: An unfiltered history of the United States in documents, original texts of flyers, newspaper articles, resolutions, official documents and speeches ranging from colonial days through the 1990s.

Chips from the Chopping Block by Jay Hammond. (Epicenter Press) Every politician should read this book and hope that Hammond's honesty, charm and self-depreciating humor rubs off.

David Cheezem is co-owner of Fireside Books in Palmer.