Like the rest of the twitterati, the novelist Walter Kirn quickly tried to make sense of the Arizona shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and several others.
As events unfolded, Kirn’s tweets stood out. By Sunday night, Kirn realized the uncanny similarities alleged shooter Jared Loughner shared with Kent Selkirk, the socially-inept-loner-on-the-internet protagonist of Kirn’s novel, The Unbinding.
“It was a sense of recognition,” Kirn told Kurt Andersen. “The forces that created this Loughner may be spawning more of him.”
Kurt reached Walter Kirn in Montana to talk about how a confusing violent tragedy has spurred such an intense cultural moment. Kirn explained, “If we look at this story as a story, and not as a basis of issue oriented argument, we see all sorts of characters who defy stereotypes and partisan description.”
About a year ago, Carrie Fisher (script doctor, memoirist, recovering Princess) took to Broadway a one-woman show called “Wishful Drinking” – an account of her struggles with alcoholism, failed romances, and brushes with death that proved Fisher had a knack for stand-up. A filmed version of her stage show airs this weekend on HBO.
Fisher has long been outspoken about her problems, but seeing is believing. When she came to Studio 360 to talk with Kurt late in the afternoon, a couple hours before showtime, she arrived in dark glasses, and yawning. “To me there’s Carrie and there’s Carrie Fisher,” she explained, “and Carrie has to make sure Carrie Fisher gets enough sleep so Carrie Fisher can do her show, [because] Carrie wants to go shopping.”
You can hear their full conversation here:
– Jenny Lawton
About a year ago, Carrie Fisher (script doctor, memoirist, recovering Princess) took to Broadway a one-woman show called “Wishful Drinking” – an account of her struggles with alcoholism, failed romances, and brushes with death that proved Fisher had a knack for stand-up. A filmed version of her stage show airs this weekend on HBO.
Fisher has long been outspoken about her problems, but seeing is believing. When she came to Studio 360 to talk with Kurt late in the afternoon, a couple hours before showtime, she arrived in dark glasses, and yawning. “To me there’s Carrie and there’s Carrie Fisher,” she explained, “and Carrie has to make sure Carrie Fisher gets enough sleep so Carrie Fisher can do her show, [because] Carrie wants to go shopping.”
Hard to believe, but the Muppets turned 40 this month! And my favorite segments from “The Muppet Show” are still “Pigs in Space.”
In honor of Carrie Fisher’s appearance on our show last week, we bring you a clip from 1980. It’s the Muppets do “Star Wars” – and even though Fisher didn’t make it aboard the ship, the Muppets offered a class act in her place.
“It was a sense of recognition,” Kirn told Kurt Andersen. “The forces that created this Loughner may be spawning more of him.”
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