JOE McGINNISS

It’s about to happen.

For me, in fact, it’s already begun.

I did a three-hour interview with “an important person” from a major media outlet on Tuesday.

The result of that will be published nationally on Sept. 18.

On Thursday, I did an extended interview with a major figure from a national television network.

The result of that will be broadcast nationally on Sept. 19.

THE ROGUE goes on sale the next day.

It will not be ignored.

Yesterday, I spent five hours having my picture taken by a photographer for a major media outlet.  The result of that should be available for viewing on Sept. 18.  (Heads up:  it might not be pretty.  He kept telling me to “look mean” and said “Suppose you opened your door last summer and Todd Palin was standing there with a gun pointed at you:  let me see that expression.”)

I said, “There wouldn’t be an expression.  I would’ve slammed the door in his face and called 911.”

The photographer said, “Perfect!  I got your expression just as you said there wouldn’t be one.”

These guys are clever.  That’s why they get the big bucks.

I am contractually bound not to disclose in advance any of the interviews I’m doing before Sept. 20, so I can’t say where any of these folks came from to visit me.

But the fact that on three different days this week heavy hitters made a seven-hour round trip from New York City to interview, film, and photograph a mere author does not suggest that there will be no interest in THE ROGUE.

For better or worse,  I’ll be hard to miss on national TV and radio, and in print, starting Sept. 18 and continuing through at least the second week of October.

Doonesbury is already running strips about the book and those will heat up on Monday.

Even today, in Doonesbury’s “Say What?” quote section that runs beneath each day’s new strip, we see this:

“People around here don’t give a shit about Sarah anymore. They’re burned out on all her drama.”

— current Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright, from THE ROGUE, by Joe McGinniss.

Confined to four small panels per day, “Doonesbury” has no room for context.

So let me share with you the context that surrounds the remarks of Mayor Rupright that appear on the “Doonesbury” page today.

You can read it all on page 44 of THE ROGUE:

“Do you want a gun?” is the first thing he asks me.

“Do you think I need one?”

He considers. “Mmmm, probably not. I think most of the threats are coming from Outside.  People around here don’t give a shit about Sarah anymore. They’re burned out on all her drama.  Do you have much experience with handguns?”

“None at all.”

“Then I think you’re better off without one. You’d be more likely to hurt yourself than anyone else…”

Very considerate and thoughtful, especially given last summer’s craziness.

Hardly inflammatory, and I don’t fault Garry Trudeau for using it.

Verne was great to me last summer when the chips were down, and he didn’t prove to be a false friend.

NINE days and counting.

I doubt that Sarah will wait that long to start attacking me.

I’ve seen what will come in Doonesbury next week, and it ain’t pretty.

As Maurice Sendak once wrote–and drew: