01-01-2002

Jon:   You’ve written a lot of books. Do you have a favorite or favorites among them?

ED:  I ALWAYS TEND TO FAVOR THE MOST RECENT ONES. AMONG THE EH NOVELS, HOWEVER, I THINK I STILL LIKE "STREETS OF GOLD" BEST. AMONG THE 8-7's, I GUESS IT'S A TOSS-UP BETWEEN "NOCTURNE,"THE BIG BAD CITY" AND "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY." I SHOULD MENTION THAT "THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL" IN THE MATTHEW HOPE SERIES OF NOVELS IS PERHAPS THE BEST MYSTERY NOVEL I'VE EVER WRITTEN. I WAS REALLY SHOWING OFF IN THAT ONE.

Jon:   I read that Steve Carella was originally was going to be killed in his first appearance.

ED:  NO, HE WAS SET TO DIE IN THE THIRD BOOK, "THE PUSHER."

Jon:   In hindsight, it seems like a great decision to keep him around.

ED:  I WOULD SAY SO. HE'S BEEN THE MAINSTAY OF THE SERIES. BESIDES, WHENEVER I'M FACED WITH SOME SORT OF LIFE PROBLEM, I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF, "HOW WOULD CARELLA HANDLE THIS SITUATION?"

Jon:   The 87th precinct books are some of the best procedurals written.

ED:  NOT "SOME" OF THE BEST, JON. THEY ARE THE VERY BEST (HE SAID MODESTLY.)

Jon:   Do you do a lot of research to keep them current?

ED:  YES, BUT I NO LONGER RIDE WITH THE COPS. I STOPPED DOING THAT IN HOUSTON ONE NIGHT WHEN WE WERE CHASING A MAN WITH A GUN DOWN A DARK ALLEY BEHIND A CONVENIENCE STORE HE'D JUST ROBBED, AND HE BEGAN SHOOTING AT US AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE WITHOUT A GUN IN HIS HAND.

Jon:   What was it like working with Alfred Hitchcock?

ED:  WONDERFUL. HITCH WAS INVENTIVE, RESPONSIVE, WITTY, ERUDITE, GENEROUS, METICULOUS AND ALTOGETHER PROFESSIONAL. A GEM TO WORK WITH.

Jon:   There have been a few adaptations of your books on television. Do you think they did a god job adapting them for the small screen?

ED:  IN MY VIEW, NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN TRULY SUCCESSFUL, WHICH IS ODD CONSIDERING THE GENERATIONS OF TV SHOWS THE 8-7 HAS INSPIRED. BUT I'VE FINISHED THE TWO-HOUR PILOT (BASED ON "SADIE WHEN SHE DIED") FOR A NEW TV SERIES, AND THE FIRST HOUR-LONG EPISODE IS BEING WRITTEN BY TWO WRITERS WITH VAST TELEVISION EXPERIENCE. I'M HOPEFUL THE SERIES WILL BE MORE FAITHFUL TO THE TONE AND SPIRIT OF THE BOOKS. LOOK FOR IT ON A&E, COMING FROM CASTLEROCK. SOON, I HOPE. I HOPE. I HOPE. I HOPE.

Jon:   Who are some of your favorite authors to read?

ED:  I CAN'T ANSWER THIS ONE BECAUSE I HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS WHO ARE WRITERS.

Jon:   How would you explain the longevity of the 87th precinct books?

ED:  I GUESS I TRY TO FIND SOMETHING FRESH ABOUT THE CHARACTERS EACH TIME OUT. THIS KEEPS ALL OF US YOUNG: THE CHARACTERS, THE READERS, AND ME.

Jon:   Was it fun to do the Case Reopened for TLC on the Lizzie Borden case?

ED:  YEAH, IT WAS A BLAST. MADE ME FEEL LIKE HITCH FOR A MINUTE THERE.

Jon:   The Deaf Man was a wonderful villain. Where did this idea come from?

ED:  I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO HAVE A VILLAIN WHO WAS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TEDDY CARELLA COIN. "DEAF ANGEL" AND "DEAF DEVIL," YOU KNOW? I'LL HAVE TO WRITE ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT HIM SOON, BUT HE'S DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE HE'S SO DAMN SMART.

Jon:   What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?

ED:  NO TIME CLOCK TO PUNCH. LOTS OF INTERESTING PEOPLE IN THE ROOM EVERY TIME I SIT DOWN AT THE COMPUTER. AND AN ENDURING JOY IN MY WORK.

Jon:   How do you keep the history of the 87th straight?

ED:  I DON'T. IN FACT, I MAKE TOO MANY MISTAKES. HAPPILY, I HAVE SMART READERS WHO KEEP ME ON MY TOES. AND A GOOD FRIEND NAMED AKIRA NAOI IN JAPAN IS THERE WHENEVER I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ARCHIVES.

Jon:   What do we have to look forward to next from you?

ED:  I'VE JUST FINISHED "FAT OLLIE'S BOOK," THE NEXT 87TH PRECINCT NOVEL. (THE MANUSCRIPT OF OLLIE'S FINISHED NOVEL IS STOLEN AND HE HAS TO FIND NOT ONLY THE BOOK BUT A KILLER AS WELL.)

I'M ALSO PUTTING THE FINAL TOUCHES ON A NEW EVAN HUNTER NOVEL TITLED "THE MOMENT SHE WAS GONE," WHICH IS NOT -- REPEAT NOT -- A MYSTERY, AND WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED THIS JULY BY SIMON & SCHUSTER. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, I HOPE THE NEW SERIES WILL BE ON TELEVISION SOMETIME SOON, BUT IN TV THERE'S MANY A SLIP TWIXT THE CUP AND THE LIP.

I'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A BROADWAY MUSICAL FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, AND IF ALL GOES WELL, IT SHOULD BE OPENING AT THE AHMANSON IN LOS ANGELES THIS FALL AND THEN COMING INTO BROADWAY IN JANUARY OF 2003 -- WHICH ALL AT ONCE DOESN'T SEEM TOO VERY FAR AWAY, DOES IT?

Jon:   What’s the one thing that’s always in your refrigerator?

ED:  STRAWBERRIES IN THE FRIDGE ITSELF, VODKA IN THE FREEZER COMPARTMENT.