July 26, 2010: Stephen McCauley's Insignificant Others

>> CAMBRIDGE NOVELIST STEPHEN
McCAWLY LATEST NOVEL
"INSIGNIFICANT OTHERS" HAS BEEN
GETTING RAVE REVIEWS.
THE STORY OF RICHARD AND CONRAD
PARTNERS FOR EIGHT YEARS WHO
DECIDED THAT FIDELITY IS NO
LONGER ON THE MENU.
AND STEPHEN McCAWLY IS HERE.
WELCOME.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DISTURBING,
THIS COUPLE IN THEIR EIGHT-YEAR
RELATIONSHIP DECIDE TO HAVE
AFFAIRS AND THEN THEY FIND ALL
THE REASONS TO JUST IF I IT.
-- JUSTIFY IT.
I'M SORT OF WONDERING WHAT
YOU'RE RESPONDING TO OR WHAT THE
CHARGE WAS THERE?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS A COMING OF
MANNERS, SOCIAL SATIRE.
AND WHAT I DO IS REALLY JUST
ENJOY OBSERVING PEOPLE'S
BEHAVIOR.
PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR IS OFTEN NOT
VERY FUNNY.
IT CAN HAVE A LOT OF
REPERCUSSIONS BUT WHAT'S ALWAYS
FUNNY IS THE WAYS IN WHICH
PEOPLE JUST IF I THEIR BEHAVIOR.
THEN IT REACHES TOWARDS A LITTLE
BIT MORE HONESTY AND CLARITY.
>> DO YOU FIND PEOPLE JUSTIFYING
ITS MORE?
IS THAT WHY YOU DECIDED TO WRITE
IT NOW?
I HAVE NOTICED IT A LITTLE BIT
MORE.
MAYBE NOT ABOUT -- WELL,
CERTAINLY ABOUT INFIDELITY IN
ONE CONVERSATION I HAD, BUT
OTHER MAJOR LIFE DECISIONS.
LIKE WE'RE GIVING EACH OTHER A
PASSION, WE'RE GIVING OTHERS A
PASS.
>> WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH
THERAPY AND READ THE SELF-HELP
BOOKS IN FINDING JUSTIFICATION
FOR WHAT WE DO.
I HAVE A FEELING THAT PEOPLE ARE
LESS AND PEOPLE -- LESS AND LESS
INTERESTED IN OWNING UP TO YOU
KNOW WHAT, I JUST SCREWED UP, I
MADE A BAD DECISION, I'M AT
FAULT.
INSTEAD, THEY HAVE TO JUSTIFY
IT.
IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT OF
SAYING I MADE A BAD DECISION
HERE.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO CORRECT IT.
YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE
THE BETTER MOVE.
>> SPEAKING OF SORT OF
JUSTIFYING, YOU HAVE A RUNNING
THEME THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.
UP WITH EXAMPLE THAT I WROTE --
ONE EXAMPLE THAT I WROTE DOWN,
AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE SKIN
CANCER.
YOU KNOW, MY HAIR IS GRAYING, AT
LEAST I DON'T HAVE TO WEAR
GLASSES TO SEE.
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
>> WHERE WAS THE IMPETUS FOR
THAT?
>> PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN MY OWN
LIFE, YOU KNOW?
AS ONE GETS OLDER, YOU KNOW, THE
NARRATOR CALLS IT A LIST OF
COMPENSATORY CLAUSES.
MY FUNDS ARE DOWN, BUT AT LEAST
I STILL HAVE MONEY TO LOSE.
YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING AN AFFAIR
WITH SOMEONE, BUT AT LEAST I'M
100% COMMITTED TO MY DOMESTIC
ARRANGEMENT.
I REALLY LIKED AGAIN -- THIS WAS
SORT OF THE IDEA OF
JUSTIFICATION FOR BAD BEHAVIOR
AND TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF A
BAD SITUATION.
>> YOU COULDN'T HELP BUT
WONDERING -- LIKE YOU HAVE ALL
THE GREAT, HILARIOUS LINES.
DO THEY OCCUR TO YOU JUST
THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
DO YOU KEEP THEM ON FILE?
I SAW THE JOAN RIVERS
DOCUMENTARY WHERE SHE WRITES
EVERYTHING SMART DOWN AND SHE
FILES EVERYTHING.
DO YOU HAVE A SYSTEM?
>> I WISH I DID.
WHEN I SAW THAT DOCUMENTARY I
THOUGHT, MAN, I NEED THAT.
LIKE RECIPES IN THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M A SLOW
WRITER.
USUALLY TAKES ME ABOUT TWO TO
THREE YEARS TO WRITE A BOOK, SO
I HAVE A LONG TIME TO SORT OF
MULL THINGS OVER AND COME UP
WITH A PHRASE THAT SOUNDS FUNNY
TO ME AND CONTAINS JUST ENOUGH
TRUTH TO RESONATE WITH PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE MAIN
CHALLENGE IN WRITING SOCIAL
COMEDY IS HAVING IT OVER THE TOP
ENOUGH TO BE SOMEWHAT ABSURD,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TRUTHFUL
ENOUGH TO BE TRULY FUNNY.
>> MAYBE I SHOULDN'T ADMIT THIS,
BUT I FOUND IT RELATABLE TOO.
I'M NOT SURE I FOUND A LOT OF IT
OVER THE TOP.
IT'S OFTEN SCARY, BECAUSE YOU
HEAR WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.
YOU HAVE EXTREME CHARACTERS,
INCLUDING RICHARD WHO -- THREE
GYM MEMBERSHIPS, WORKS OUT
INTENSIVELY.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE
JUSTIFIABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
TRYING TO JUSTIFY THEIR
INFIDELITY.
IS THIS STUFF THAT YOU KNOW?
PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW?
YOU LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE AND YOU
TALK A LOT ABOUT BOSTON.
>> I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL HAVE
BEHAVIORS THAT WE ARE NOT
PARTICULARLY PROUD OF OR THAT WE
ADMIRE ESPECIALLY.
AS A WRITER, PEOPLE TELL ME
THINGS ABOUT THEMSELVES AND
THEIR LIVES.
EVEN INTIMATE DETAIL WHICH I
FIND COMPLETELY ASTONISHING.
THEN OF COURSE YOU GO AND WRITE
ABOUT IT.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE WRITING
COMEDY I THINK YOU TAKE THESE
TRUTHFUL THINGS.
I HAVE A GYM MEMBERSHIP.
I PROBABLY SPEND A LITTLE MORE
TIME WORKING OUT AND DOING YOGA
THAN I SHOULD, BUT I'M NOT
OBSESSIVE IN THE WAY THAT THIS
NARRATOR IS.
SO IT'S PUSHING IT TO SOME KIND
OF EXTREME SO THAT IT BECOMES
AMUSING OR A LITTLE BIT
UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE READER.
>> SO THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT, DO THEY COME BACK THEIR
READ THE BOOK AND TAKE OWNERSHIP
OF THE CHARACTERS?
>> NOT IF YOU DESCRIBE THEM IN A
FLATTERING WAY.
YOU GIVE THEM A PERFECT HAIRCUT
OR PERFECT PHYSIC.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE
THEMSELVES.
NONE OF US REALLY DO, BECAUSE WE
DON'T KNOW HOW WE PRESENT
OURSELVES TO OTHER PEOPLE.
>> SO YOU DON'T RE-READ YOUR
BOOKS?
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> WHY NOT?
>> UM, BECAUSE WHEN I RE-READ
ALL MY BOOKS I JUST SEE THE
FLAWS.
I SEE THE THINGS I WISH I COULD
CHANGE.
IT'S TOO LATE TO DO IT.
AND USUALLY BY THE TIME I COME
TO THE END OF THE BOOK I'VE
WORKED ON IT FOR SO LONG AND
REWRITTEN SO MANY TIMES AND GONE
THROUGH EDITING PROCESS AND SO
ON, THAT I'M PRETTY HAPPY TO BE
DONE WITH IT.
WHEN I LOOK AT IT AGAIN, YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES I LEAP THROUGH
MY OLDER NOVELS AND I THINK THAT
WAS A PRETTY GOOD LINE.
I KIND OF LIKE THAT OBSERVATION,
AND SO ON.
BUT HAVING JUST FINISHED THIS,
YOU KNOW, IN THE RECENT PAST, I
THINK IT'S TOO CLOSE TO ME.
>> ONE OF THE BOOK, "THE OBJECT
OF MY AFFECTION" WAS MADE INTO A
JENNIFER ANISTON FILM.
AND ONE IS GOING INTO
PRODUCTION.
THE U.S. -- DOES THAT EVER ENTER
INTO YOUR WRITING, DO YOU START
TO THINK OF HOW A SCENE UNFOLDS?
>> YOU KNOW, I DID WHEN I FIRST
GOT A MOVIE CONTRACT FOR "OBJECT
OF MY AFFECTION".
THAT FELT GOOD, I WANT TO DO
THAT AGAIN IN THE NEXT NOVEL BUT
I REALIZE YOU CAN'T PREDICT
THESE THINGS.
IN FACT, MY BOOKS ARE NOT
TIGHTLY PLOTTED IN THE WAY OF
MOST MOVIES.
I THINK THAT THE REASON
FILMMAKERS SEEM TO BE DRAWN TO
THEM IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE
PARTICULAR AND PERHAPS VIVID
CHARACTERS.
SO I JUST TRY TO DO THAT WHICH
IS WHAT I ENJOYED DOING WHEN I'M
WRITING ANYWAYS.
SO I HAVEN'T REALLY CRAFTED MY
BOOKS IN ANY PARTICULARLY
CINEMATIC WAY, NO.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU ALWAYS
TIE YOUR BOOKS TO THE TIMES.
THIS IS SET IN THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS OF THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION AND THE BUBBLE IS
ABOUT TO BURST.
>> RIGHT.
>> HOW DO YOU LAND UPON YOUR
TIMES?
>> I TRY TO FIND SOME MOMENT
WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE
ON PEOPLE.
AND THINGS ARE -- IT'S BEGINNING
TO SHIFT UNDER THEM.
THAT'S WHAT I SAW AT THIS
MOMENT.
WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS
VAGUE REALIZATION THAT SOMETHING
MAJOR WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN THE
ECONOMY.
AND THAT THEY COULDN'T HOLD ON
TO THEIR STABILITY ANY MORE.
>> I KEPT SNEAKING AWAY FROM MY
FRIENDS AND I KEPT READING IT
AND I'VE LERDZ -- HEARD A LOT OF
PEOPLE SAY THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO DO IT FOR
"GREATER BOSTON."
TOMORROW NIGHT, MORE ON JUVENILE
JUSTICE AND WE'LL LIGHTEN IT UP
WITH JUDY KAY AS A SINGLE JULIA
CHILD.
I'M JARED BOWEN.
GOOD NIGHT.