In this June 9, 2015, photo, first lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement address during graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2015 at Dr. Martin Luther King College Preparatory High School held on the campus of Chicago State University in Chicago. She’s a wife, mother and lawyer, an advocate for children and military families, and first lady of the United States. Now Obama has added a new gig: magazine editor. The first lady is “guest editor” of the July-August issue of More, which bills itself as the magazine for “women of style and substance.” AP
WASHINGTON — She’s a wife, mother and lawyer, an advocate for children and military families and first lady of the United States. Now Michelle Obama has added a new gig: magazine editor.
The first lady is the “guest editor” of the July-August issue of More, which bills itself as the magazine for “women of style and substance.” It was a first for both the White House and the magazine industry, said Lesley Jane Seymour, More’s editor-in-chief.
“There’s never been a first lady who’s ever guest-edited a magazine and certainly not a sitting first lady,” Seymour told The Associated Press. She said the edition focuses on Mrs. Obama’s “point of view on the world and it’s from her eyes.”
“Guest editor” wasn’t just a fancy title. The first lady had to pitch story ideas and write and approve copy for the 148-page issue, Seymour said.
She “was reading every page and asking for changes up until the last minute,” Seymour said. “She had to approve absolutely everything. She had to suggest various things, too.”
The theme of the issue is having “More Impact.”
Mrs. Obama said she welcomed the opportunity to share some of her White House experiences.
“What I want readers to understand is that impact comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. And hopefully through this issue, what people will see is that you can have impact as a military mom changing careers, or you can be a young person starting a business or you can be the first lady and start a whole initiative,” Mrs. Obama said in a statement.
The issue highlights the first lady’s four priorities: helping children live healthier lives, supporting military families, encouraging young people to pursue education past high school and helping girls around the world attend and stay in school. It also includes pieces on her long-serving chief of staff and senior adviser, two women who have influenced the first lady’s work.
The first lady’s byline appears on a reflective piece about the reaction after she said her top priority is being “mom in chief” to daughters Malia and Sasha. She also shows the music on her “chill-out” playlist, including songs by Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and the duo of Tony Bennett and Lada Gaga.
Mrs. Obama also reveals the stories behind some of her favorite photographs, including of her and her daughters walking along the Great Wall in China last year.
The first lady was not compensated for her work, Seymour said.