Democratic ‘Luv Guv’ James McGreevey Couldn’t Win a Delete Key Award in 2007, But Can Republican Newt Gingrich Do It in 2008?

James McGreevey, the former governor of New Jersey, made the shortlist for last year’s Delete Key Awards with a steamy gay-sex passage from his memoir, The Confession. But the Democrat known as the “Luv Guv” lost to Danielle Steel, Mitch Albom and Claire Messud. Can the former Republican Speaker of the House do better when the 2008 winners are announced on Friday?

Newt Gingrich and co-author William Forstchen made the shortlist with this passage from Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th (St. Martin’s/Thomas Dunne):

“James nodded his thanks, opened the wax paper and looked at bit suspiciously at the offering, it looked to be a day or two old and suddenly he had a real longing for the faculty dining room on campus, always a good selection of Western and Asian food to choose from, darn good conversation to be found, and here he now sat with a disheveled captain who, with the added realization, due to the direction of the wind, was in serious need of a good shower.”

Read the full 2008 shortlist here www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/. You’ll find the shortlisted 2007 passage by former New Jersey “Luv Guv” Jim McGreevey (“He greeted me in his briefs …”) here www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/. The winners will be announced on Friday, March 14, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, so you need to leave a comment today if you want to try to rig the jury.

The annual Delete Key Awards recognize authors who aren’t using their delete keys enough. They don’t honor the “worst books” but instead call attention to the worst passages in books, such as individual sentences or paragraphs.

(c) 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.