Chelsea, Lately

The former First Daughter is, at 39, trying to figure out what her own life looks like.

- Jonathan Van Meter

Everywhere Chelsea Clinton goes these days, people stop her to say, “I’m sorry about your mother.” The most touching version of this I witnessed, as we traveled around the country on her book tour this past spring, came from a handsome, stylish young black guy in the Memphis airport. He tentatively planted himself in front of her and said, “I’m sorry your mother lost.” Clinton looked into his face and appeared to summon every drop of sincerity she could muster: “Thank you,” she said. “I am too. We just have to keep moving forward.” To which he said, “I’m working on technology that’s going to help us do that.” He very briefly explained his project and then gently hugged her. “Thank you so much for telling me that,” she replied.

People stop her to say all sorts of other things as well, like the woman earlier that morning at her hotel gym who asked, “Are you on Grey’s Anatomy?” No, Clinton said politely. “How do I know you?” “I’m Chelsea Clinton,” she said in her matter-of-fact way. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” said the woman. Clinton reassured her that no offense was taken, this sort of thing happens all the time. “I just hope you thought I played a nurse or a doctor and not a corpse.”