Literary Carpetbagger of the month: Phil "Book Deal" Campbell

Seattle a Pit Stop for Writers on Way to Success in New York City

Phil Campbell. A genius. Spent two or three years in Seattle and then moved to NYC and wrote a book about it, Zioncheck for President: A True Story of Idealism and Madness in American Politics. It's the story of Grant Cogswell, a local lunatic, activist, and "former punk rocker." Indeed, the name of Bob Mould, former Husker Du frontman is dropped in Phil's introduction to the world of Grant.


Phil Campbell endured a psycho housemate, getting fired by the Stranger, and other indignities during his short stay in Seattle.

This reporter was interviewed by Phil for the book, but his caustic comments ended upon the cutting room floor. I think it's a great book, and Phil really captured the magic of the late 1999 Seattle world of alt-weekly writers, the WTO, Grant's run for city council, and inebriation. Stay tuned for an eventual interview with Grant, Phil and also a full-on review of Zioncheck!

Next month: Mike Daisey