Mark I. West discusses new book of Jimmy Carter’s literary works on WFAE

United States President Jimmy Carter wrote extensively, authoring more than 30 books in a wide variety of topics through poetry, children’s literature, a novel and commentary on contemporary issues. He never used a ghost writer and made his living post-presidency through his books.

Mark I. West, professor of English, has published his latest book “The Literary Legacy of Jimmy Carter.” The book is a collection of essays edited by West and co-editor Frye Gaillard, reflecting on Carter’s various literary works. Essay authors include several current and former UNC Charlotte faculty, including Paula Gallant Eckard, Jeffrey B. Leak, Paula T. Connolly, Meredith Troutman-Jordan, Richard W. Leeman, Ronald F. Lunsford, Boyd Davis and Daniel Shealy.

This week marks the state funeral and federal recognition of Carter’s death, so West was interviewed on WFAE’s Morning Edition about the newly published book reflecting on Carter’s body of written work. West spoke with host Marshall Terry and reflected on Carter’s work as an author.

“One of the problems when you’re relying on giving speeches is that you can’t do nuance. And Jimmy Carter always wanted to do nuance. So a book gave him the space to express his full range of ideas on the various topics that he decided to write about. And the other reason is it was a way for him to generate an income that did not involve the kinds of compromises that a lot of former presidents make in terms of serving on boards and giving high-powered paying speeches. He didn’t want to do that sort of thing,” said West.