Settle for More
Page 34
Oscar party, 316
Van Susteren, Greta, 290
Variety, 181
Vietnam War, 201, 203
Walker, Emily, 4, 7, 248, 251
Walker, Scott, 1, 241, 250, 259
Wallace, Chris, 3, 4, 5, 72, 143–44, 247–50, 254, 257, 280
Walsh, Peter, 45
Walters, Barbara, 182, 278, 286
Warren Commission, 130
Washington, DC, 80, 115–32, 134, 140–62, 220, 247, 301
Washington Examiner, 281
Washington Post, 239
Weather Underground, 201, 202, 204
Weiner, Anthony, 179, 207–10
Westboro Baptist Church, 180, 202
Wikipedia, 151
Will, George, 238
Williams, Brian, 152, 209
Williams, Juan, 192
Winfrey, Oprah, 97, 108, 211, 274, 285
WJLA-TV, 117–20, 152
WMAQ-TV, 113–15
working mothers, 192–95, 215–30
Wright, Kelly, 127, 171
Yale University, 59, 66, 81
Zahn, Paula, 122, 301
zone of genius, 152
Zuckerbrot, Tanya, 145
Photos
My parents met in New York City, where my dad was studying at Manhattan College, and my mother was in nursing school. They married not long into their courtship in 1962.
My father had a great combination of intellectualism and romanticism, while my mom was savvy and whip-smart. He was clever. She was a riot. They adored each other.
For my mom, laughter is the secret of life. She always was—and still is—a force of nature. When she’s there, everyone feels a bit brighter. When she walks out, the room is unhappier.
Nana (on the right) and her sister at my parents’ wedding.
My parents’ one and only trip to Europe—at the Eiffel Tower in August 1977.
In the summer, my family would drive to Lake Ontario, where we rented a cabin, hiked, and danced around the campfire. My dad would play guitar and sing us John Denver songs, as shown in this photo with me.
Growing up in the suburbs of Syracuse and Albany, attending public school, going to Catholic mass, and, as shown here, enjoying the decor of the 1970s, we had it made.
My family raised me with the core message: Be whoever you are. That person may (or may not) be extraordinary. We’re not going to lie to make you feel better, but we’ll love you no matter what.
Growing up, I was the youngest, but I still had a voice. We would sit around our dinner table, and Dad would ask, “What’s the report?” When it was my turn, I would prattle on, over the complaints of my siblings. “You had your chance,” Dad would say. “And now you will listen to her.”
The classic Olan Mills photo of my family. I’m sporting my favorite outfit: a black-and-red cowgirl jumper. (My parents did make me remove the accompanying holster and two silver toy guns for the shot.)
My family on a camping trip. My mother used to say I was the female Ed, minus the beard and mustache; from the eyebrows down—eyes, nose, cheekbones—I look exactly like him.
My high school graduation in 1988.
Mom’s graduation from her master’s program, flanked by me and my brother, Pete. She would post her grades on the refrigerator next to ours and remark that hers were better. Check out the Griswold-like family truckster in our driveway.
With Kelly and our boyfriends before the prom. When I asked my mom what happened to my prom dress years later, she confessed it had ended up in one of her “all you can grab for a dollar” garage sales. Classic Linda.
College graduation in 1992. By the time I was a junior at Syracuse University, I had decided to become a lawyer. It was empowering—I believed I’d finally found my path.
Winning the Best Individual Advocate Award in a moot court competition while at Albany Law School. I knew, almost as soon as I got to law school, that I could stand up and make an argument. (Courtesy of Albany Law School)
The Fendrick Award, given out by my broadcasting professor in honor of a woman named Fendrick who once became so overwhelmed by stage fright doing a sidewalk report that she hailed a taxi and took off. (On rough days, I admit I look at it and think, Was that fleeing woman onto something?)
A journal entry from the night I realized I needed to exit my legal career.
I chronicled my steps toward a new career in my journal, including this entry about my coffee with Meredith from my guitar class, who, in a completely selfless act, introduced me to broadcast journalism.
Getting the job offer at ABC 7 in Washington, DC, and about to interview at Fox News Channel—once I started settling for more, I never looked back.
Reporting at the 2008 Democratic National Convention for Fox News—there were 80,000 people at Invesco Field to see Barack Obama accept the Democratic nomination.
My political independence goes back a long time. As this journal entry from 1988 shows, I’ve never felt a strong call to either party.
When I look at photos from my wedding to Doug, the ones of us dancing—and dancing hard, as we are to Bon Jovi here, flanked by our brothers and our dear friend—capture the elation of the day. (Courtesy of Joshua Zuckerman)
With Doug when I was pregnant with Yates, wearing flag headgear, courtesy of Diane.
With Yates at the beach, not long after he was born. Becoming a mother is the most profound thing that’s ever happened to me. (Doug and I don’t publicly share many photos of our children—included here are a couple of now-dated exceptions.)
With Yardley at Newt Gingrich’s debate podium during the 2012 Republican presidential primary race. She can use this if she ever runs for president. I propose the caption “Born to Run.”
Yardley (on her head) and Yates, letting their full selves shine at a book signing for Doug’s second book, The Means.
Story time with Yates and Yardley in 2011.
Peter Kirwan, who has been a treasure in my life, here with his granddaughter Yardley.
With Doug and the kids at Disney World. As Doug said after our youngest, Thatcher, was born, “Now everyone’s here who’s supposed to be here.”
After I changed myself for the better, better things started coming to me. I was settling for more. And “more” meant more from myself. Finding Doug proved that more than anything else.
In December 2014, six months before he announced his candidacy for president, Donald Trump began reaching out to me—often—with e-mails, phone calls, and things like this forwarded Christmas card.
Trump denied my statement to Vanity Fair in January 2016 that he used to send me correspondence, including articles about me signed by him. I saw no point in releasing my file at the time, but here is just one example—a congratulatory note on a cover story about me in the New York Times Magazine.
An e-mail from one of Trump’s assistants encouraging me to read a positive article about him from a conservative magazine. The annotations were added, presumably by him.
As late as May 2015, just a month before he announced his candidacy, Trump invited Doug and me to Mar-a-Lago, his oceanfront mansion and club in Palm Beach. Trump followed up with photos of Mar-a-Lago as well. It was an invitation I would never accept.
Walking into the first debate in Cleveland after a day from hell. Triumphant.
Trump skipped the second Republican debate that Fox News hosted in Iowa after complaining about me incessantly. That morning, I awoke to see that Trump had retweeted a fake picture of me with two Saudis, wearing full Muslim garb.
With Trump in his office following the Trump Tower Accords.
My team at The Kelly File, who have been with me through it all.
With my mom and Nana at Nana’s 100th birthday celebration.
With Doug in Paris—almost forty years after my parents’ only visit there.
About the Author
Megyn Kelly currently serves as anchor of the Fox News Channel’s The Kelly File, the top-rated news show on cable. Throughout her tenur
e with the Fox News Channel, Kelly has covered breaking news, moderated presidential debates, and interviewed some of the best-known figures of our time. In 2014, Time magazine recognized Kelly as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Before joining Fox News, Kelly served as a general-assignment reporter for WJLA-TV (ABC 7) in Washington, DC, where she covered national and local stories of interest. Prior to her career in television news, Kelly practiced law for nine years, the majority of which she spent as a litigator at the law firm of Jones Day in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC. She lives in New York with her husband and three children.
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Credits
Cover design by Milan Bozic
Cover photograph © Patrick Demarchelier
Copyright
settle for more. Copyright © 2016 by MK2.0, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
“Today.” Words and Music by Randy Sparks. Copyright © BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP) / BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd (Primary Wave) (PRS / MCPS) / Primary Wave Songs (ASCAP). Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
first edition
All photographs courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2017 ISBN: 9780062494597
Print ISBN 978-0-06-249460-3
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