They actually feel closer to you. I think it s why readers read and writers write. We want some proof that somebody else does it too. I ve made a career out of trying to be honest about myself in whatever way is necessary, and it can be hard sometimes, but the payoff is enormous in the long run. In some ways, this is a novel about belief and having the courage to believe, but it s also a warning against gullability.
Somebody calls it the line between truth and self-delusion.
I think that s very true. I think it s inherent in my personality that I want to believe and the more outlandish the story I m told, the more I want to embrace it. And a lot of us are that way. Sometimes, someone else s story captures your imagination to such a degree that you feel as if you re a participant in their lives, and that can be very seductive. The interesting thing about The Night Listener is that a number of people have contacted me on the road.