Talking With P.J.
 
Frontline has a great interview with the funniest writer around, P.J. O'Rourke. As I've said before, his new book, Peace Kills, is excellent:
 
“If you go back to the beginning of new journalism--Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and all those guys--it was a very energetic period in journalism,” O‘Rourke pointed out. “What we forget now, of course, is that there was a lot of crap that came out of that time and some really crappy influences on the next generation of writers which would be…ah, me.
 
“For example, people who are going to write probably shouldn’t be allowed to read Hunter Thompson until they’re over 35,” he added. “Not to take anything away from Hunter’s genius, but as an influence…eh, it’s tricky.”
 
So which writers does O’Rourke turn to when he wants his muse tickled?
 
“Dave Barry I’m crazy about,” he said. “I don’t know how he does it every week. I like David Brooks, wish we hadn’t lost him to the New York Times. Andy Ferguson at the Weekly Standard is a master. Caitlin Flanagan at the Atlantic, knocks me out. I have a huge crush on her. I mean, I’ve never met her, she may be 500 pounds, for all I know, but wow.”
 
As for the future, O’Rourke said no big changes. He’s hoping to dive back into writing about public policy, dissecting the jokes out of bills that otherwise would make a conscientious tax payer cry.
 
“I’m looking at the new Transportation bill right now,” he said. “Have you seen that one? You can almost hear them yelling, ‘Soo-eee!’”