They write books about WHAT???
November 6, 2020 7:22 PM Subscribe
So Stacey Abrams also writes romance novels (under the name of Selena Montgomery)! Who knew?!? This has me wondering—who are some other famous people who have written books in areas outside of their well known areas of expertise?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has written 16 books, both fiction and nonfiction, according to his Wikipedia page, though of course he's far better known for his acting career. ("ROGER MURDOCK. I'm an airline pilot.”)
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:43 PM on November 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:43 PM on November 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
Brian May of Queen fame has a PhD in astrophysics, so that is what his dissertation was about, and he has also published books about stereoscopic images and astronomy.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:43 PM on November 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:43 PM on November 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
Actor Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years) has a PhD in math and has written math books for kids of various ages.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:49 PM on November 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:49 PM on November 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Boris Johnson wrote a thriller called 72 Virgins. I’d recommend skipping the novel and going straight to the TrashFuture podcast episode mocking it (“Boris Gear Solid”)
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:51 PM on November 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:51 PM on November 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Newt Gingrich has "written" several political thrillers (all are co-bylined which probably means ghostwritten).
On the extreme other end of the spectrum, although still very much falling under "write what you know I guess," Tyra Banks's YA novel Modelland is apparently bonkers.
posted by babelfish at 7:56 PM on November 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
On the extreme other end of the spectrum, although still very much falling under "write what you know I guess," Tyra Banks's YA novel Modelland is apparently bonkers.
posted by babelfish at 7:56 PM on November 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
I guess those are more bizarro versions of their areas of expertise than totally outside them!
posted by babelfish at 7:57 PM on November 6, 2020
posted by babelfish at 7:57 PM on November 6, 2020
It's rather ancient history now, but the 15th Governor General of Canada, Baron Tweedsmuir GCMG GCVO CH PC DL, was the then-famous author John Buchan, writer of The 39 Steps among many other novels.
posted by anadem at 8:18 PM on November 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by anadem at 8:18 PM on November 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'll just leave this right here.
posted by ambulatorybird at 9:06 PM on November 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by ambulatorybird at 9:06 PM on November 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
"Roald Dahl also wrote fiction for adults."
Indeed he did. Hilariously filthy fiction.
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 9:32 PM on November 6, 2020
Indeed he did. Hilariously filthy fiction.
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 9:32 PM on November 6, 2020
Charles Dodgson, British mathematician, also wrote fiction for children.
posted by runcifex at 1:45 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by runcifex at 1:45 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Disraeli wrote novels (and some nonfiction on subjects outside British politics).
posted by trig at 1:57 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by trig at 1:57 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Saddam Hussein wrote romance novels too.
posted by dazedandconfused at 5:43 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by dazedandconfused at 5:43 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
William Shatner "wrote" several sci-fi novels. (He thanks his ghostwriter in the dedication for IIRC the first novel, "without whom this book would not have been possible." Heh.)
posted by kindall at 8:30 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by kindall at 8:30 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Tom Hanks wrote a book, and according to Goodreads, he's been involved in quite a few others.
posted by hydra77 at 10:08 AM on November 7, 2020
posted by hydra77 at 10:08 AM on November 7, 2020
Former Colorado Senator Gary Hart has written (or co-written) waaaaaay more books than I bet you'd think he had.
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:53 AM on November 7, 2020
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:53 AM on November 7, 2020
Maybe not outside his area of expertise, but English football player and manager Steve Bruce wrote apparently-terrible thrillers set in the world of football - hilariously taken down here.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jack Marshall wrote children's books.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:02 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jack Marshall wrote children's books.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:02 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Journalist Jake Tapper published a political thriller The Hellfire Club (goodreads.com link) in 2018. The protagonist is a freshman Congressman in the 1950s and his wife is an academic zoologist studying the wild horses of Nanticoke Island.
Anthony Bourdain wrote crime novels (delish.com list of all his books, crime novels and otherwise) before Kitchen Confidential and celebrity chef stardom.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2020
Anthony Bourdain wrote crime novels (delish.com list of all his books, crime novels and otherwise) before Kitchen Confidential and celebrity chef stardom.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2020
An often-shared math paper by Lara Pudwell cites an "elegant" proof by a certain T. J. Kaczynski, with a brief but legendary footnote reading "better known for other work".
posted by automatronic at 1:59 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by automatronic at 1:59 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Henry Winkler has a series of children’s books about a main character with dyslexia.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2020
posted by Champagne Supernova at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2020
This is actually within her area of expertise but the actor Danica McKellar (most famously known for playing Winnie on the Wonder Years) grew up to earn her bachelor's in Mathematics at UCLA and has written half a dozen books about math.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2020
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2020
Hugh Laurie has written one novel, with a second long expected.
posted by General Malaise at 3:20 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by General Malaise at 3:20 PM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Julie Andrews wrote the children's classic The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles as well as a number of other children's books.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 6:04 PM on November 7, 2020
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 6:04 PM on November 7, 2020
aside: mckellar has an Erdős–Bacon number. i am friends with a guy who has an Erdős–Bacon-Sabbath number.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:29 PM on November 7, 2020
posted by j_curiouser at 9:29 PM on November 7, 2020
Suzanne Somers wrote a book of poems, which is best experienced in the voice of Kristen Wiig.
posted by dizziest at 11:15 AM on November 8, 2020
posted by dizziest at 11:15 AM on November 8, 2020
Seventy Two Virgins by Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister (Content note: Islamophobia and antisemitism)
I just picked up Universal Harvester by the guy from Mountain Goats but have not started it yet.
posted by Morpeth at 3:10 PM on November 8, 2020
I just picked up Universal Harvester by the guy from Mountain Goats but have not started it yet.
posted by Morpeth at 3:10 PM on November 8, 2020
Steve Martin has written books and plays, including a children's book. He was interviewed yesterday on CBS Sunday Morning talking about his latest - a cartoon collaboration with one of the New Yorker cartoonists.
posted by librarianamy at 5:16 AM on November 9, 2020
posted by librarianamy at 5:16 AM on November 9, 2020
Steve MartinOoh, good one. Martin is also a banjo player of some renown, which isn't relevant to this thread (which is about books) but is neat.
posted by kindall at 10:15 AM on November 9, 2020
Canadian former Prime Minister Stephen Harper authored a book about hockey.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 2:44 PM on December 5, 2020
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 2:44 PM on December 5, 2020
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posted by miles1972 at 7:32 PM on November 6, 2020 [1 favorite]