Chillin’ and Swillin’ with Calvin Trillin

Who knew? Calvin Trillin has a following more committed than the devotees of the Reverend Jim Jones. When I hosted The Nation‘s “deadline poet” at Words & Wine earlier this month, folks flew in from around the country to hear the political verse-crafter share his wisdom and wit in cocktail-fueled conversation. Before the event, his fans gushed:

“I saw CT at Brentano’s in ’78.” 

“Yeah, man, but I caught him at Powell’s in ’92. Blazin’. Check out this bootleg.”

“Sweet.”

Trillin looked tired. He had already submitted to several interviews that day, on-air and off the record. I worried he would be too zonked for our talk, though I was heartened by his firm grip on a scotch and soda. 

I introduced Mr. Trillin, somewhat irreverently, and he straightened up, like Yoda cracking his back —For the people, perform I must! — and the avuncular author ascended the stage, immediately riffing on phrases with which he prefer to be recognized. The game was on; he had scored first. Ours was a delightful exchange during which we discussed the merits of the world’s best restaurants, the benefits of crime reporting and the questionable sanity of Minnesotan Jews. Along the way, we accomplished the mission of shilling for his latest book, Deciding The Next Decider, a lyrical look-back at the myriad 2008 presidential campaigns, from Iowa to DC, in his self-proclaimed, stitched-together epic poem.

Afterwards, Trillin’s insatiable readers circled around him, hoping to pry a few more pearls, coax some special inscriptions and, maybe, just maybe, snap some shots with their idol. Somewhere, Jerry Garcia was getting jealous. On the spot, I swapped out my Tom Collins for some tasty Sapphire-spiked Kool-Aid, opened wide and imbibed. 

To view highlights from my chat with Mr. Trillin, click here. To purchase tickets to upcoming editions of Words & Wine, please visit Kim Ricketts Book Events or The Warren Report’s own events page. My next guest is Steven Rinella, the ruggedly handsome and exceptionally smooth author of American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon.

**Readers in Los Angeles: Please note we are bringing Words & Wine to you soon. Stay tuned for details. Feel free to suggest authors you’d like to see showcased in the series.**