by Howard Mansfield
Howard Mansfield’s writing is not easily categorized. I’ve been a longtime admirer of his work, because he causes us to think differently about such topics as historic preservation, how we create our personal histories and our allegiances to landmarks. In his latest book, he turned the concept of time on its head.

So, as a publicist who concentrates on newsworthy nonfiction, how was I to make this topic appealing to my media contacts? A key component of our strategy was the placement of op ed pieces that emphasized the timeliness of his topic.

The book was published in September 2010, so this meant bound galleys would be in the hands of long-lead contacts and reviewers in May. Howard ruminated on the meaning of war memorials in one chapter of the book, so it was tailor-made to tie into Memorial Day. It revolved around a town in rural Massachusetts, so we found a home for the piece in The Boston Globe.

Armed with this op ed piece, I began follow-up. In late August, I found out that my entreaties had been answered when The Wall Street Journal provided one of the best pull-quotes I’ve ever seen: “Like Thoreau, Mr. Mansfield is a keen observer and, in his neck of New Hampshire, a granitic critic of the rushed life.”