Theodore Pappas: Be Open to Possible Changes to Your Work

Theodore “Ted” Pappas and his writings have been discussed and published in publications such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, London Spectator, The American Scholar, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and History Magazine. He has appeared on the NBC Today Show as well as on CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Fox News radio and television, NPR’s All Things Considered, and BBC Radio. He is also the author of several books including True Grit: Classic Tales of Perseverance.

Theodore Pappas

In this interview, Theodore discusses how a conversation with a former first lady helped inspire his new history book, Combing Through the White House, his advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Theodore Pappas
Book title: Combing Through the White House: Hair and Its Shocking Impact on the Politics, Private Lives, and Legacies of the Presidents
Publisher: Harper Celebrate (HarperCollins)
Release date: August 20, 2024
Genre/category: History
Previous titles: True Grit: Classic Tales of Perseverance, Britannica Brainbusters: Challenging Puzzles for the Curious-Minded, Britannica’s 250th Anniversary Edition: Our Final Yearbook.
Elevator pitch: Through engaging storytelling and captivating visuals, this book of cultural history personalizes the past in an intimate way, offering us a novel manner of learning from history that’s refreshing, rewarding, even moving. Little-known tales are uncovered by this surprisingly rich book—about the public and private lives, personal scandals, and tragedies that affected not only the men and women who have occupied the White House, but also the country at large—and all of them have one seminal element in common: hair.

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What prompted you to write this book?

The initial impetus for this book was a private dinner I had with Barbara Bush some 40 years ago, during which, in her endearing, self-deprecating way, she joked about her grandmotherly looks and white hair, which likely turned white, according to recent scientific research, due to the stress and grief she experienced from the death of her 3-year-old daughter. Because of her matronly looks, she became one of the most body-shamed persons in White House history.

This experience got me thinking of the many other unusual ways that hair has affected aspects of the presidency, from the political messaging tied to George Washington’s refusal to wear a wig, the centuries-old pastime of collecting hair in memory of our leaders and celebrity idols, and the vast imaging-making of the Kennedy administration to the inspiring photo of the little boy patting President Obama’s head just to see if his hair was like his, the many hair-related controversies of the 2020 presidential race, and the rich font of chemical treasures found within hair, such as DNA, that have solved so many presidential controversies in recent years, affecting impeachments and paternity matters while rewriting White House history in the process.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

Five years, and the book evolved from a standard, text-heavy narrative to a more visually rich, heavily illustrated book. This meant the cutting of text to make room for the many illustrations, which is always painful for a writer, but the outcome was worth it.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Changing course for the creation of a more illustrated book was certainly a surprise, but a pleasant one in the end.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

An appreciation for the many novel ways we can learn from the past and narrate history, including learning from something as commonplace as hair.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Be open to possible changes to your work amid the publishing process. Hold true to your writerly goals but give new perspectives on your work careful consideration—they may open the door to something grander in the end.

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