Debriefer: Bestseller David Baldacci
Fighting his way through phalanxes of CIA assassins and mysterious international cabals, David Baldacci is currently touring in support of his latest political thriller, Stone Cold. He took a moment to explain why answering certain of our questions would get him murdered in his sleep.
We're going to imprison you in the city of your choice for the rest of your natural life. You can do anything you want there, but you must stay in that city forever. Where would you choose?
London.
Why would you live in this city forever and not somewhere else?
There are an overwhelming number of things to see and do there. It is very cosmopolitan.
In what part of the city would you reside?
Near St. James Park.
Where and what would you eat?
Local pubs, cafes, occasional fancier restaurants. I would eat lots of fish and pasta.
What would you do for fun?
Sightsee, museum hop, people watch, go to the theater, and shop at the markets. Go to parks, a Thames ride, and on pub crawls.
Where would you go for a night on the town?
The Mayfair.
What kinds of shops are worth going to?
More obscure ones.
And on the flip side: What city would you never, ever visit again, if you had a choice?
There's no way I'll mention a city. I'd be killed in my sleep.
It's clear that location is important to your writing. Pick for us your top six (or more) favorite places or spaces.
New York City, Boston, Edinburgh, Washington DC's Mall, Ogunquit (Maine), and Germany.
Your ongoing blog, The Traveling Writer, chronicles your numerous book signing tours in support of your novels (among other travels); has there been a city or signing you found particularly memorable?
In Amsterdam. The American Book Center. My British and Dutch publishers argued the whole time I was signing about my being there for my British publication very close to a Dutch book event. What fun!
Any instances that have made you cringe?
No cringes.
Your "entrancing" (and returning) leading man in Stone Cold happens to share his name with a certain controversy-prone director. Has the fictional Oliver Stone ever received word from the very real Oliver Stone?
No, but I'm still waiting.
Looking at your past books, such as The Collectors and The Simple Truth, you obviously have an interest in Washington DC, and its landowner, the US government; what is it about the landscape of this city that interests you?
It's a beautiful city bought by taxpayer money, though no one in DC seems to realize that. And right beneath the beautiful façade is a dirty, gritty underworld. Now that's fascinating!
[Photo: John Foley, Opale]
Debriefer is a weekly interview of random individuals about their favorite cities. If you'd like to be interviewed for Debriefer, let us know.
