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Gretchen Carlson is a Miss America Pageant winner, a tv personality, and now an author. She is launching her new book “Getting Real” here at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich.
“I for sure wanted to launch my book in Greenwich because this is my home now. I have lived here almost longer than I’ve lived in Minnesota where I grew up, which is saying a lot because I’ve lived all over the country. I especially wanted to launch it at my church because religion has been my foundation,” said Carlson.
Carlson was born in Minnesota and was the granddaughter of a Lutheran minister. She began playing the violin at a very young age.
“It just clicked early on and I was a really serious violinist until I was about 17. Then, I went to my parents and said ‘I’m burned out. I want to try something else.’ They were kind of devastated with that, but I really wanted to concentrate on my academics, so I went off to Stanford and studied there. And then, my mom got a brochure in the mail about the Miss America Pageant. And she called me up and told me she had found something for em to use my violin talent- it’s 50 percent of your points. And I said no way! I grew up chubby kid, a tomboy, I really was not into pageants at all, but she convinced me. Once I decided to do it, I decided to give it my all,” said Carlson.
And that mindset of success is what her book is all about.
“I wanted tow rite the book because I want to inspire young and old, that the American Dream is still alive, and that if you work hard and you persevere, you too can reach your goals,” said Carlson.
But Carlson says she also writes about failure in the book.
“I think that’s a really important ingredient in success and it makes you appreciate success that much more. I’m a real person, too, and relatable. I’ve been fired. I have great empathy for people out of work. I had infertility problems. My first child was born with a tumor in her eye. I grew up a chubby kid. I was taunted and teased. I want people to be able to relate to em and say to themselves if she persevered, then I can as well,” said Carlson.
And when asked about book number two…
“This is my inspirational memoir, so maybe a different kind of book down the road. But as I say int he book, you’re never too old to take on new accomplishment and new goals. No matter how old I am, I always want to learn something new. So, who knows? Maybe politics, maybe go back and get that law degree. It just remains a question mark,” said Carlson.
The host of “the Real Story With Gretchen Carlson” will embark on a 18 city book tour after Monday night’s launch that featured a question and answer with Kathie Lee Gifford.
