Al Franken working on book about his years in Washington

Sen. Al Franken
Sen. Al Franken spoke at a press conference outside his Minneapolis house after being re-elected last November.
Yi-Chin Lee | MPR News 2014

U.S. Sen. Al Franken is not done with his career as an author.

The second-term Minnesota Democrat, former "Saturday Night Live" writer-performer, and best-selling author is working on a memoir about his years in Washington. He is describing it as a "psychological thriller," in which he will recount the frustrations and the hopes of life in the Senate, with a few jokes likely added.

The 64-year-old Franken was a prominent liberal satirist before joining the Senate in 2009. He had great success with such books as "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" and "Lies And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," which infuriated one of its subjects, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, and led Fox to briefly attempt legal action for using the network's slogan "Fair and Balanced."

The new book doesn't yet have a title or publisher. Franken is being represented by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who said Thursday that he will be in touch with publishers over the next couple of weeks. Barnett's other clients include President Barack Obama and one of Franken's fellow Democrats in the Senate, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Franken isn't the only Minnesota senator to put pen to paper recently. Sen. Amy Klobuchar released her memoir, "The Senator Next Door," in August.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.