An Interview with
Michael Smerconish
on His First Novel
9781604334906 | On sale May 6, 2014
Give us a quick synopsis of Talk in 20 seconds or less:
Stan Powers, the hottest talk radio host in the most politically influential market in the
nation, is now faced with a critical decision: to speak honestly or say the things that
will advance his career.
Who is the audience for your book?
Anyone who is looking to be entertained with a ribald read about the polarized media
world that now dictates our nation’s political discourse.
What inspired you to write your first novel?
I have something important to say about what caused our national conversation to take
a tailspin and I thought I’d try to do it in the most entertaining manner.
What did your colleagues say when you told them you were writing a novel about
media and politics?
Are you kidding? I’ve said nothing. If they knew, I’d have had nowhere to go for material!
Talk received remarkable reviews from prominent novelists and political/media
personalities — did you expect such praise for your first novel?
I was overwhelmed by the reaction. Sophisticated readers can see through the kind of
blurbs written out of a sense of obligation. Those whose comments are now associated
with Talk were earnest and sincere, and each of these individuals has credentials, which
makes their opinion valuable. I’ve often said that if I could get in one room the people
who blurbed my book, it would be one helluva interesting conversation.
How realistic are the plot, actions and dialog in Talk compared to real-life media
and politics?
I don’t think any part of the story arc is a stretch. Stan Powers could exist if he doesn’t
already, and the world in which he thrives is absolutely today’s cable television news
and talk radio environment. So too the presidential candidates – both Republican and
Democratic – are realistic, as is their nomination fight. I’ve tried to write a book that
will cause readers to scratch their heads and wonder, “Is that the way it really works?”
Sadly, in most instances, the answer is yes.
A major theme in Talk is that no American politician can win a prominent election
without a standard Christian background. Do you think this will ever change in America?
Yes, but not in the near future. Electing an agnostic or atheist will be one of the final glass
ceilings to be shattered, long after we’ve elected our first female or Hispanic. Consider
that today, there are zero admitted agnostics or atheists in Congress. None.
If Talk is made into a film, what actor would you see in the role of Stan? What
about Susan and Phil?
Stan Powers: Matthew McConaughey. Susan Miller: Robin Wright. Phil Dean: Until
recent events, I would have said Philip Seymour Hoffman.
In what ways (if any) was Stan Powers’ character developed based on your own
experiences in talk radio?
I am not Stan Powers. I have never said things with which I personally disagree so
as to advance my career. To the contrary, I have said things that I honestly believe in
circumstances where I have known full well that they would be an anathema to the core
talk radio audience. I created Stan Powers to illustrate the farcical nature of the polarized
media and the danger posed when too many elected officials take their cues from people
with microphones instead of the electorate at large.
Stan Powers came to political talk radio in a very indirect and unpredictable manner.
How did you get into political talk radio?
I never set out to be a talk radio host. I was very fortunate to have some unique political
experiences at an early age. These included working for Vice President George H. W.
Bush as an advanceman while I was still in college (and later serving in an appointed,
sub-Cabinet-level position in his administration). These endeavors led to my being asked
to supply election-night commentary on television network affiliates in Philadelphia,
and thereafter on an FM talk radio station called 96.5FM, WWDB. I loved the radio
experience. I’m sure ego played a large role, and while I was finishing law school and
beginning the practice of law, I had in the back of my mind that I’d rather be a talk radio
host who happened to be a lawyer than a lawyer who on the side was a talk radio host.
When that opportunity finally presented itself, I switched careers.
You’ve also written five nonfiction books. How did the writing process differ
with Talk?
For me, writing fiction was much more difficult than writing nonfiction, which came as
a surprise. When undertaking the project, I naively thought it would be relatively easy,
after all, you get to make stuff up, right? Wrong. Writing fiction was often fun and
sometimes laborious. My motivation came in knowing that I had a good core story on a
subject that has not received a public airing despite its importance.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing fiction vs. nonfiction?
A project of nonfiction is easier to write on an ad hoc basis. You do your research, you
write when and what you can, and when interrupted, it’s not difficult to find your place
and resume. For me, with fiction, it was most difficult getting restarted. I would need to
totally acquaint myself with where I’d been and where I had hoped to go, and this was
often frustrating. Vacations sometimes provided the environment that I needed. Three
summers ago, we rented a cottage in Maine for a week at which I had a breakthrough
that was badly needed.
Who do you most respect today in talk radio, political media and politics?
When people ask who has motivated me professionally, I think they’re expecting that
I’ll say Paul Harvey or Rush Limbaugh or some other recognizable broadcaster. But my
answer would be Larry David. The comedic genius behind both Seinfeld and Curb Your
Enthusiasm taught me that the best entertainment need not be predicated on some faux
ideological divide. The best content can come from nothing – the everyday “nothings” that
can be understood by everyone and serve as a jumping-off point for great conversation.
Larry David’s portrait in my radio studio is a reminder of that fact.
List some books you love?
Peter Bergen’s Manhunt, Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides, The Lost City of Z
by David Grann, Act One by Moss Hart and A Secret Gift by Ted Gup.
What are you reading now?
I read a ton every week because I am constantly interviewing authors for my radio
program and TV show. On my night stand right now: PJ O’Rourke’s The Baby Boom,
Wooden: A Coach’s Life by Seth Davis and The Triple Package by Amy Chua and Jed
Rubenfeld.
Do you plan to write another novel? Will any of the characters in Talk continue on
in another novel?
Spoiler alert – Stan Powers is very much alive when Talk ends, and yes, I could definitely
see a sequel.
Describe your writing process. Do you write daily? At a certain time? Using a
computer, longhand, dictation, or other method?
The greatest challenge for me in writing Talk was finding time to write. I have many
responsibilities on my plate, and carving out the time to write is more challenging for
me than writing. Those who write for a living know that when I say “writing” I really
mean thinking and writing. The easy part is typing my words – the harder part is deciding
where I am going before my fingers hit the keyboard. So when do I write? Whenever
and wherever I can.
When did you begin writing Talk, and how long did it take to complete?
Four years. I think it would have taken less time had I been able to give it sole focus,
but that was never the case.
How did you come to work with Cider Mill Press in publishing Talk?
I am very grateful to Buz Teacher, an old friend, for reuniting me with John Whalen at
Cider Mill Press. Both Buz and John have understood Talk and its timeliness from the get
go. The result is a true collaboration. We have worked well together and I am immensely
proud of the final product, for which I also thank editor Greg Jones.
What are you most looking forward to with your book launch?
I am preparing for how many times I think I will find myself saying, “But wait, it’s a novel.”
Is there a message that you hope readers grasp by the time they finish the book?
Hell yes. That we do ourselves and the nation a disservice when we get our information
in the form of entertainment masked as news. The only people I meet who see the world
through entirely liberal or conservative lenses are the talk radio hosts and cable television
news presenters with whom I have rubbed shoulders. When I am leading my life and am
approached while pumping gas, buying groceries, or attending a back-to-school night, I
meet and speak to people for whom the issues are a mixed bag. They are liberal on some,
usually the social issues. They are conservative on many, often financial. And there are
plenty of things they just haven’t figured out. Well, you’d never know they exist if all
you relied upon was the polarized media.
Give us a couple of facts about yourself, such as hobbies or talents we may not
know of.
Under our roof you will find three teenage boys, a miniature dachshund and six miniature
donkeys.
Your readers are dying to know — are there actually Phil Deans of the world that
are influencing our favorite talk radio hosts?
The polarized climate that I describe has become so formulaic, self-sufficient and lacking
in independent thought, that it no longer requires Phil Dean to orchestrate, and that’s sad.
Talk: A Novel (9781604334906) releases May 6, 2014. To order, please contact your
Simon and Schuster representative.
Advanced reader copies are also available. To request one, please contact Emily Regis
at [email protected]
---------------------------------------------------------Michael Smerconish is the host of The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM Channel
124 (9 a.m. to 12 p.m. weekdays), and will be the host of a new show airing Saturday
mornings on CNN starting in March. He was the first radio host to interview President
Barack Obama live from the White House. He has authored fives books (two of which
were New York Times bestsellers) including Flying Blind: How Political Correctness
Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post 9/11; Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism,
Trues Stories That Should be Fiction; Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss,
Pain and Injustice; Morning Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking; and
Instinct: The Man Who Stopped the 20th Hijacker.
He writes a column in the Sunday edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, has been an onair contributor with MSNBC, and has guest-hosted Hardball with Chris Matthews. He
has been a guest on The Today Show, The Colbert Report, The O’Reilly Factor, Larry
King Live, The View and Real Time with Bill Maher.
He practiced law for ten years, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law
School, and Lehigh University. He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and four children.