Rave's Review

Most of the pre-buzz about the book is that it's a roman à clef about Lizzie Grubman, and obviously you must have known that it would be perceived as such when you wrote it.To a degree. I didn't know that it would take on this life form that it has. The reality is that I think this book could have been the biggest masterpiece of this century, but because I worked for Lizzie it was going to be naturally that. I so, so get it.

I mean, even the ending is, shall we say, torn directly from the headlines of the life of Lizzie Grubman. I mean, literally.Yeah, but I wanted an outlandish way for the main character to get some comeuppance. So I took it to that level.

Yes, but if you really wanted to avoid the comparison…No, no, of course. But at the same time I don't think that is the meat of the book. And to be honest I debated leaving the epilogue in or not. But I wanted a cliff-hanger if I was going to do a sequel.

Obviously Lizzie must know of the book's existence, but do you know what she thinks?Haven't a clue. And I don't have anyone in my life that is in any way connected to her.

So, so far no backlash?Someone sent me the piece that they posted on Gawker.com announcing the book, and honestly what upset me the most is that the ending was revealed. My sister sent my parents the link and my dad was going through and reading me all the negative comments, thinking I know these people.

Do you expect her to do anything?I really don't. She is living her own life now and I don't think she will do anything.

How much of it is really based on her.It is honestly -- and I see you already starting to laugh -- it is such an amalgamation of the people that I met. I have so many people coming to me with outlandish stories and I just took this to a new level. I wouldn't have the patience that Taylor does in this book. I would have said "Fuck you" long before.

So you never had to score cocaine for any of your employers?[Laughs] No, I never did that. Wow. No.

Are any of the events in Taylor's life based on specific events in your life?No. Obviously there are elements. He is from the Midwest, I'm from the Midwest. I don't have the family he does, [and] the people he met aren't my friends.