The secret to completing the impossible, she’s learned, is to turn to other people for help.
LAURIE WOOLEVER:It was really difficult.
What kind of reaction did you see, personally, from his fans when that released?
Credit: Ecco Books
What do you think his reaction would be to this book?
There are definitely stories about moments in which he could be self-absorbed or hurtful.
That might actually have been more comfortable for him to hear, as opposed to being lauded.
He was always a bit embarrassed by his fame and ambivalent about the spotlight.
How did you go about deciding who to interview for the book?
Did you learn anything that surprised you?
But every single person I spoke to told me something new.
That is so funny to me.
I think the common thread that runs through his whole life is that he is a writer.
He was writing poetry and comics at a young age, he always wanted to be a writer.
He released two crime novels beforeKitchen Confidential.
That’s the essence of who he was.
Do any interviews from the book stand out as particularly difficult or painful?
I will say the book goes deeper just by the nature of the format.
But if you left the film with questions, I do believe that the book will answer them.
It’s a completely legitimate response.
But for his fans, just seeing thatRoadrunnertrailer is a real heartbreaker.
A book is a bit easier because you’re able to put it down when you need.
I think about it a lot.
Like, what would Tony have thought about the last two years of the Trump presidency?
I often think: Tony, there’s a million reasons why I wish you were still around.
But one of the big reasons right now is to be able to talk to him about the pandemic.
He’s had so many travel vaccines over the years.
Is it possible to move on?
That was back in 2002, when I was on track to be a food writer and editor permanently.
Now, for the last three years, I’ve been asking myself this same question: what next?
I’ve known that these books will both be finished and out in the world.
