HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

"Reagan Allowed Himself to Imagine a World Without The Soviet Union" Q&A with Novelist Thomas Mallon

Views:999
@ReasonVids

"Because he was simpler than Nixon in some ways, more sentimental than Nixon, Reagan allowed himself to imagine a world without the Soviet Union. Which Nixon's mind—much more brilliant than Reagan's—couldn't quite bring himself to do," says Thomas Mallon, author of the new novel, Finale.

Mallon is a rare novelist who actually lives in Washington, D.C. and writes about politics and power. He spoke to Reason's Nick Gillespie about his phenomenal new novel Finale, which follows the adventures of a fictional National Security Council advisor making his way through the scandal-ridden final years of the Reagan administration.

Late 1986 brought America a host of new social ills: the crack epidemic, a surge in homelessness, and AIDS. The Reykjavik Summit between Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev was dubbed a disaster and the Iran-Contra scandal was beginning to flare up. Through it all, President Reagan was becoming increasingly remote, prompting critics to wonder if the 75-year-old president's mind was slipping a few gears.

Enter Anders Little, obsessive and troubled, coming to terms with his homosexuality amid a staunchly conservative administration. Little makes his way through a Who's Who of the Washington power elite. Indeed, Mallon's capital city is a Fellini-esque carnival of ambition back-biting, featuring an up-and-coming Christopher Hitchens; the always-calculating Pamela Harriman, the dowager queen of the Democratic Party's government in exile; Republican fundraiser Terry Dolan, who is dying of AIDs; and Nancy Reagan, ever protective of her husband's reputation during his last days in office. Even talk-show host Merv Griffin pops in to update the First Lady on the latest Hollywood gossip.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Mallon jumps from his novel of 1980s' glastnostalgia to discuss how our identities shape our deepest political convictions and vice versa. Mallon, like his protagonist Anders Little, is a gay conservative. Born in 1951, he says his belief in American exceptionalism is rooted in his Irish-Catholic upbringing on Long Island. "We considered ourselves super-Americans in a way, because we were militantly anti-communist. We were not squishily so like liberal protestants." He adds, "Belief in America was second only to belief in God."

The former literary editor of GQ and the widely praised author of a shelf of novels (including Dewey Defeats Truman and Watergate: a Novel) and nonfiction (Mrs. Paine's Garage and the Murder of John F. Kennedy, Stolen Words: Forays into the Origins and Ravages of Plagiarism), Mallon also explains why "95 percent of the writers" he knows are liberal Democrats (and why that bothers him), how social media and memoir are killing the novel, and why he's disappointed in writers such as Jonathan Franzen.

About 40 minutes.

Produced by Todd Krainin. Interview by Nick Gillespie. Cameras by Josh Swain and Krainin.

Visit https://reason.com/reasontv/2015/10/26/finale-thomas-mallon-on-his-novel-of-the for a full transcript and downloadable version. Subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to receive notification when new material goes live.

thomas mallon
,
ronald reagan (us president)
,
finale
,
richard nixon (us president)
,
novelist (profession)
,
soviet union (country)
    Thumbnail for Trump: "It's Not Been Easy For Me...My Father Gave Me a Small Loan of $1 Million"0:06
    Trump: "It's Not Been Easy For Me...My Father Gave Me a Small Loan of $1 Million"
    ReasonVids
    930 views
    Thumbnail for Stupid spic1:16
    Stupid spic
    bestofvoatxyz
    1229 views
    Thumbnail for Three Ways Parents are Ruining Halloween3:17
    Three Ways Parents are Ruining Halloween
    ReasonVids
    948 views
    Thumbnail for I spent $1,000 to break GTA 5's physics | GrayStillPlays15:31
    I spent $1,000 to break GTA 5's physics | GrayStillPlays
    invidious
    329 views
    Thumbnail for High Holy Days Services — Erev Yom Kippur | The 92nd Street Y, New York3:11:22
    High Holy Days Services — Erev Yom Kippur | The 92nd Street Y, New York
    invidious
    208 views
    Thumbnail for The Tiny Dot. - A situation too weird for 99.999% of people to adequately explain.6:48
    The Tiny Dot. - A situation too weird for 99.999% of people to adequately explain.
    AOU
    1610 views
    Thumbnail for Sex, Lies, Jazz: Feb. Reason Preview w Matt Welch and Kennedy3:02
    Sex, Lies, Jazz: Feb. Reason Preview w Matt Welch and Kennedy
    ReasonVids
    1043 views
    Thumbnail for Unknown person perfectly describes how Marxists push degenerate agendas using useful idiots.0:46
    Unknown person perfectly describes how Marxists push degenerate agendas using useful idiots.
    allAheadFull
    329 views
    Thumbnail for Who's Afraid of Balls on the Beach, Gay Marriage, & Drug Legalization?5:14
    Who's Afraid of Balls on the Beach, Gay Marriage, & Drug Legalization?
    ReasonVids
    930 views
    Thumbnail for Adolf Hitler "the most precious possession [...] are it's people"1:03
    Adolf Hitler "the most precious possession [...] are it's people"
    NachtWaffen
    2025 views
    Thumbnail for Qanon Kek6:37
    Qanon Kek
    bestofupgoat
    563 views
    Thumbnail for My Grip Is Becoming More POWERFUL | Mental Outlaw6:38
    My Grip Is Becoming More POWERFUL | Mental Outlaw
    invidious
    403 views
    Thumbnail for The D-Day of India Pakistan Champions Trophy standoff | Pakistan nails Zimbabwe 2-1 in ODI Series | Sawera Pasha1:06:46
    The D-Day of India Pakistan Champions Trophy standoff | Pakistan nails Zimbabwe 2-1 in ODI Series | Sawera Pasha
    invidious
    156 views
    Thumbnail for "Discrimination against the jews is natural!" - Texas Preacher against jewish pride parades [Remastered]4:18
    "Discrimination against the jews is natural!" - Texas Preacher against jewish pride parades [Remastered]
    AOUisgay
    448 views
    Thumbnail for That's how a real woman treats her family.1:04
    That's how a real woman treats her family.
    AOUisgay
    351 views
    Thumbnail for Real World DC (Health Care Remix)0:53
    Real World DC (Health Care Remix)
    ReasonVids
    954 views
    Thumbnail for jew-owned MSM Blackout on Another Trans Shooting6:22
    jew-owned MSM Blackout on Another Trans Shooting
    AOUisgay
    1371 views
    Thumbnail for DEAD RISING 4 Walkthrough Gameplay Part 10 - Obscuris / Lieutenant Maniac (XBOX ONE S) | theRadBrad16:39
    DEAD RISING 4 Walkthrough Gameplay Part 10 - Obscuris / Lieutenant Maniac (XBOX ONE S) | theRadBrad
    invidious
    308 views
    Thumbnail for Christmas ready #moms #christmas #christmastime #shorts #momlife | Krystianatiana0:24
    Christmas ready #moms #christmas #christmastime #shorts #momlife | Krystianatiana
    invidious
    162 views
    Thumbnail for Lenore Skenazy on Freeing Your Kids (and Yourself) in the 21st Century1:13:53
    Lenore Skenazy on Freeing Your Kids (and Yourself) in the 21st Century
    ReasonVids
    747 views
    Thumbnail for 헌재 초비상 속 '진공상태' 돌입..경찰, 기동대·특공대 배치..고층 옥상출입 통제, 재판관 24시간 경호 - [핫이슈PLAY] MBC뉴스 2025년 4월 1일 | MBCNEWS22:58
    헌재 초비상 속 '진공상태' 돌입..경찰, 기동대·특공대 배치..고층 옥상출입 통제, 재판관 24시간 경호 - [핫이슈PLAY] MBC뉴스 2025년 4월 1일 | MBCNEWS
    invidious
    107 views

points

Permalink
Reply
thomas mallon
,
ronald reagan (us president)
,
finale
,
richard nixon (us president)
,
novelist (profession)
,
soviet union (country)
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle