My eldest daughter, who is majoring in African American studies,
read Barack Obama's first book, "Dreams From My Father," last
summer. And she said to me in wonder, "It's a beautiful book.
He's a great writer."  A president who is a great writer, who
has said in interviews that he enjoyed Marilynne Robinson's
novel "Gilead," noting, "The language just shimmers." A
president who uses the word "shimmers." A president who has also
said, "Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children
early in life."  Lovers of American literature should be
thrilled.  My three daughters are thrilled because not only is
he a writer and reader, but he looks like them. In fact, we have
had countless discussions about his use of "mutts" when he
discussed the future White House canine; my eldest titled her
college entrance essay "Mutts." Their father is African-Irish-
Cherokee-American; I am Swiss-French-Cowboy-American. My
children have gone from the innocent preschool belief that no
one notices color or cares what their playmat