Kirsten Gillibrand memoir: 'Porky' reference creates buzz

WASHINGTON – A reference to "porky'' in Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's forthcoming book has sparked a national buzz that may help to drive sales of the political memoir, set for release Sept. 9.

Advance excerpts of "Off the Sidelines,'' published by Ballantine Books, are being strategically released by women's magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire.

But a story in People magazine is what's getting all the Internet clicks. That story says Gillibrand's book relates "a sobering incident in the congressional gym, where an older, male colleague told her, 'Good thing you're working out, because you wouldn't want to get porky!'"

People are speculating about the identity of the "male colleague" — and are asking whether Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has an obligation to name names.

Gillibrand's spokesman, Glen Caplin, said Thursday the unidentified lawmaker will remain anonymous.

New York's junior senator is a 47-year-old mother of two boys who retained some extra weight after delivering her second son. She eventually lost 50 pounds.

By then, she had come out publicly as the first nursing mother in the tradition-bound Senate. According to the People magazine story, Gillibrand's book also recalls an incident in which a Senate colleague squeezed her stomach and said, "Don't lose too much weight now. I like my girls chubby!''

The Good Housekeeping excerpt focuses on Gillibrand's work with the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation law.

Contact Brian Tumulty at btumulty@gannett.com