C. David Heymann (1945–2012)

Found this book in the library and decided to borrow it since I have a thing for the Kennedys and most of all RFK. I didn't have high expectations for the book. It looks a bit sordid and it felt a bit sordid to read. Did Jackie and Bobby have an affair? Many people seem to think that they did. It was like a secret everyone knew, but no one spoke about in the public. Nowadays it would be impossible to keep an affair like that a secret, but in the 60s it was probably a lot easier.

In a way a feel sorry for Jackie, I don't think many people knew her. Men wanted to sleep with her, women wanted to be her and she is often portrayed as a greedy ambitious woman, very much so in this book. And perhaps she was precisely so. Who knows?

Perhaps she and Bobby had an affair. Perhaps he was the love of her life. It's easy to write a book about two people that are both dead since they can't confirm or deny anything.



… (meer)

A loosely-connected collection of short stories that perfectly conveys the fun, relaxed, not-overly-driven spirit of the idealized Austin that seems lodged permanently in our memories of our twenties. Though Heymann swears that the characters in the novel are not drawn directly from his own life, it's obvious that the rich detail here, down to specific species of trees in clients' yards, comes from having spent a good amount of time marinating in the town (like the protagonist, he's been a "practicing" architect in Austin since the mid-80s). My favorite story was "Keeping Austin Weird", where the main character solves an oak-poisoning incident on the site of one of his clients' properties with the help of an arborist whose personal life is straight out of a letter to Penthouse; it mixed thoughtful architectural discussion with barbecue ("There are a series of barbecue joints positioned like Stations of the Cross in a ring of towns around Austin"), serendipitous encounters, and a satisfyingly salacious yarn. But each of the other six stories are also a pleasure to read, and properly appreciative of the way that people balance their inner and outer lives. There's not a higher moral here, just thoughtful appreciations of how pleasant it is to while away the hours in a city with seemingly limitless opportunities to let time float peaceably downstream.… (meer)

As a bibliophile who has read dozens of books on Jackie and the Kennedys, this title remains at the top of my list and a personal favorite due to the depth and great attention given to the former first lady. While many books span only her only years, White House years, or Jackie O years, Heymann pays careful detail and respect to all aspects and corners of her life, leaving no stone unturned while telling memorable stories. Further evidence of the books's superiority is found in the TV miniseries - A Woman Named Jackie.… (meer)