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How did you get the idea to write Dick Cheney’s Diary?
A teaching website VicePresdents.com approached me to take over a column called “Dick Cheney’s Diary”. I was asked just to do a cut and dried column and just comment on current events in a diary form. However, being a former National Lampoon contributing editor, my satirical instincts took over. I opened it up into a character driven story about a henpecked and put upon guy who just happened to be the most evil person in the world. (Extra Bonus: I used the old Abbot and Costello Show as a template. Cheney is a grumpier version of Lou Costello; Mr. Bacciagalupe was a direct steal of an Italian stereotypical character from the show. Towards the end I decided to go all out and that’s when I added “Stinky” Libby, based on the character “Stinky” on the show, an adult man who dressed in a Lord Fauntleroy costume and acted like a child.) I consider this as homage to a great, underappreciated show. Some bizarre things just stick with you. Anyhow, the column took off and soon became very popular for it’s outrageousness. In fact Alabama, which was using the website as a teaching tool, banned it from the state because of me. I’m very proud of that.
While in the midst of writing, did you ever question that something might be too offensive? If so, did you take it out or leave it in?
Yes, I questioned all the time if I was making it too offensive. That’s the reason the diary is so absurdist, to mask the offensiveness. There were times when I wrote something and felt I had gone too far, and I removed it. However, when dealing with the most vile person on the planet, the bar for offensiveness is very low. Hitting the right note in satire is a tricky business. (If you could only see the stuff I left out.) Other than people in the administration, I went out of my way not to make too much fun of innocents. Interestingly, while writing the diary, I came to feel somewhat sympathetic to the “character” of Cheney I had created, and gave him some vulnerable moments. However any pangs of regret would soon disappear as soon as I turned on CNN and saw what the real Cheney was up to.
Who could play a good Dick Cheney on Saturday Night Live?
Obviously, Darrel Hammond, who has played him in the past. I thought Richard Dreyfuss in “W.” was excellent. I’m a big fan of Alec Baldwin and think he would do a bang up job (with the proper make-up.) And of course Mike Meyers as Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series. Dr. Evil was always in my mind’s eye when I wrote.
Who are the top 5 politicians you’d like to read the book?
Wow, good question. Obviously Bush and Cheney wouldn’t get it, so they’re off the list. Hmmmmm. Pat Leahy (D-VT) seems to have a good sense of humor and righteous outrage regarding the last eight years. Dennis Kucinich because he comes out so well in the book. Not really politicians, but every member of the Supreme Court, so they could see what they unleashed on the country. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) just because she’s my senator and I like her. Ditto Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA). Give him time to laugh a little while he investigates all the atrocities of the past eight years. And Alberto Gonzales. Somehow I get the feeling that he’s going to have a lot of time on his hands after Obama’s Dept. Of Justice gets thru with him.
Will there be a “Joe Biden’s Diary?”
I’m not sure yet, but the Obama’s new dog might have some literary aspirations of it’s own.
To order a copy of Dick Cheney’s Diary, please go here:
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/DickCheneysDiary.html
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