Jon Meacham: A Master Storyteller

In February, Dave and I saw him speak locally about his newest book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. He has a remarkable way with words, both on the page and in person. Meacham’s self-deprecating opener was a funny story about how often he is mistaken for novelist John Grisham.

Over the course of his career, Meacham has met many influential people, yet he manages to name-drop with humility and humor. At one point, he acknowledged that his friend and former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, was in the audience with us. He charmingly used the word “ma’am” several times during his talk, and Dave remarked that Meacham’s genteel manner of speaking — along with his Southern accent — was part of his appeal. I agree.

Meacham also wrote a biography of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush, published in 2015 as Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. During his research, he learned that when Bush was a middle-school student at Phillips Academy Andover, there was a physical-education exercise in which boys had to climb through a large wooden barrel. As Meacham tells it, a larger, awkward student became stuck inside. Rather than teasing him, as some of the other boys did, Bush helped him out. When asked why, Bush replied, “If it had happened to me, I would have wanted someone to help me.” Meacham uses this story to illustrate Bush’s instinct for camaraderie over bravado. Regardless of one’s feelings about the Bush presidencies, the anecdote is a brilliant example of how Meacham uses language to reveal character and empathy.

I’m looking forward to reading his newest book and learning from his measured use of language and storyteller’s rhythm.