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One Hollywood star. One latenight talk show host. A sold-out audience full of rapt fans. And what was it all for? A book. Craig Ferguson's book, a novel called Between the Bridge and the River.
The Tuesday night event was part of the excellent interview series Writers Bloc. Last night they presented Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes) with Ann Taylor Fleming.
You might know Craig Ferguson as the host of the Late Late Show on CBS, or as a Scottish comedian, or as the boss on the Drew Carey show. After hearing him talk about his book — which is apparently about religion and morality while being profane and wickedly funny — we think he's an author, too.
Why was he talking to David Duchovny, who played Fox Mulder on The X Files? Well Duchovny (as all the fan girls know) is an ivy-leaguer who abandoned his literature PhD studies at Yale to come to Hollywood. He recently wrote and directed his first feature House of D, so he's a renaissance man, too.
The evening was introduced by organizer Andrea Grossman, who started with such an articulate and thoughtful description of Ferguson's book that at one point Duchnovny picked up his notes and mimed sneaking offstage. Then, as her intro continued and she got to Duchnovny's Princeton-Yale pedigree, Ferguson did his own mock sneaking off. The two had a rappore that was both intelligent and silly. Their bon mots, as we could scribble them, after the jump.
Craig Ferguson on where his book started: "I thought I wanted to write a book about a Scotsman who got drunk and came to America."
Duchovny on listening to your creative muse: "The voices are actually talking to you instead of turning their backs and saying you're an idiot."
Ferguson: "There's a part of me that instinctively knows when I'm being truthful."
Duchovny on Between the Bridge and the River: "it's a very amoral moral book." He also called it "picaresque" and "madcap." (picaresque! that's so lit major!)
Ferguson: "I like show business because it has no college entrance requirements. I also hate show business because it has no college entrance requirements."
Duchovny: "What is it with you and the word pamplemousse?"
Ferguson: "If you use the French word for grapefruit you sound brainy.... and it's more sexy than the word 'grapefruit'."
Ferguson on how being the Late Late Show host affects his book: "I get to do this, I get to be interviewed by someone more famous than me."
Duchovny on why he's the interviewer: "We share a woman,"
Ferguson interrupts, disappointed: "Not Tea."
Duchnovy finishes: "A manager."
When asked (again) about how being an entertainer might affect the reaction to his book, Craig Ferguson said, "Whether they take it seriously or don't take it seriously, forgive me, but fuck 'em." Then he went to sign books in the lobby; the line of fans waiting to buy Between the Bridge and the River extended out the door.
