Dana Perino has spent more than three decades in politics and media, from serving as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush to joining Fox News as a contributor in 2009 and later becoming a co-host of The Five.
Perino, 54, is based in Manhattan but has a second residence in Bay Head, where she spends time writing and enjoying the ocean. Her fiction debut, Purple State, a rom-com, was published in April and became a bestseller. Fox News marks its 30th anniversary this October.
It’s an exciting time at Fox News with The Five and Fox celebrating some anniversaries. As you reflect on those milestones, how has your role as a commentator evolved over the years?
I never thought that I would have had the opportunity at Fox News. In high school and college, I thought I wanted to do local news and be an anchor. And then life just changes, right? One of the things I keep writing about is that it’s nice to have goals, but if you’re too rigid with your plan, you’re going to miss opportunities. After the White House, I really wanted to be in the conversation of the news of the day. In 2011, I came to New York for five weeks to co-host a show called The Five. We were only supposed to be a holdover, and now we’ve just celebrated 15 years. In 2017, Suzanne Scott, our CEO, asked if I would be interested in doing an afternoon news program.
You’ve spent much of your career facilitating and participating in conversations with people who don’t always agree. How important is it to seek out perspectives that challenge your own?
I think that’s a great question. People are busy. There’s a tendency to read the headlines and to only read the headlines of things you agree with or things that make you angry. There’s a little bit more that has to happen in terms of being a responsible news consumer and citizen because democracy is a participatory sport. Americans need to be voracious news consumers and omnivores. I could eat red meat all day long. I love to read things where I agree with every word. But, I also have to eat my vegetables. I’ll go and read things that I disagree with. And that makes for a well-rounded diet. I also do a lot of podcast listening, and it’s really enhanced my information gathering and critical thinking skills.
After writing nonfiction, why did you decide to turn to fiction for Purple State?
I was looking for a bit of a creative outlet. I’m not a great artist. I’m not good at tennis. This story was burning a hole in my pocket for a while. I have a particular interest, obviously, in politics, and I love my mentoring books, [in which] I think give great advice for young women. I wanted to figure out a way to show that when you are going through your quarter-life crisis—and every young woman I know has gone through one—you think that your opportunities are closed off. But in actuality, you have to remember, you’re an educated, American woman, and that means nothing is standing in your way.
You mainly wrote Purple State at your house in Bay Head. What is it about the Jersey Shore that inspires you?
Within an hour of getting there from the city, I’ve washed my week away. I have a very small room in our house that looks over the ocean. Up there, I can open the door, so I can hear the ocean. Even in winter, I cuddle under a blanket with my laptop. I find that the only way I really have good ideas is if I’m moving. I have a walking route if I get stuck. I would ask my husband, ‘Can we talk through this next chapter?’ He was such a champion of the book.
I’ve seen pictures of Percy, your dog, on the beach. Does he enjoy the Shore as much as you do?
Mantoloking has some nice beaches, but right there in Bay Head is typically where we are. We have Percy now, but Jasper was our previous dog. Jasper was a great swimmer and he loved to hunt for fish. Percy has never seen a fish in his life. He’s such a beautiful athlete in every other way, but the worst, most embarrassing swimmer.
I saw on social media that you made it to the famous Parker House bar and restaurant in Sea Girt last summer. What did you think of this Jersey Shore tradition?
Yes, my assistant, Kate, took me! I’d heard about Parker House for a long time because many of my friends who are married couples met at Parker House, and now their children go to Parker House. I went to God’s Basement—my husband did one of those oyster-shot things? I’m a little too old to go there, but it’s a great tradition; I appreciate it very much.
What are you most excited about in these next phases of your career, on-air and in print?
I would say I have never been happier than I am right now. What I’m excited about is, I don’t know what’s next. I had been such a planner and so controlling of my life for so long that it feels a little strange to let go of the reins… I think there’s more to come.
