12/03/2006: "BOOK TELEVISION TRANSCRIPT"

Hi all,

This is, I think, a transcript from a TV program---I think it is called THE WORD THIS WEEK---that had a segment about THE FIGHTER. I didn't see it, so I don't know. Again, sent on to me out of the blue.

Do you all want to know the most upsetting/traumatizing part? I don't recall ever giving this interview. Honest to God! Who is Lars-Peter Bjornson? Sounds like a retired tennis player. It's a total Twilight Zone scenario. I think I might be punch drunk.

Maybe you can make some sense of it. The transcript makes me sound semi-intelligent, at least, so I appreciate whoever transcribed my words---which I don't recall ever saying.

I'm off to the Memory Recovery center.

Who is Ron Price from the red corner?

Lars-Peter Bjornson: IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT A BOOK LAUNCH ATTRACTS THIS MUCH ATTENTION. BUT THEN AGAIN, IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU GET THE AUTHOR AND THE PUBLICIST TO PUT ON THEIR BOXING GLOVES AND GO IN THE RING ALL TO PROMOTE THE NEW BOOK THE FIGHTER BY CRAIG DAVIDSON. AND, OH, YEAH, THEY ACTUALLY GET TO BEAT UP ON EACH OTHER.

WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN THE PUBLICISTS GO, "YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BOXING MATCH. WE'RE GOING TO THROW YOU IN THE RING?"

[ Caption: Craig Davidson The Fighter ]

Craig: WELL, I GOT TO SAY IT WAS VERY STRANGE WHEN MY PUBLICIST STEVE CALLED UP AND SAID VERY MATTER OF FACTLY, "UH, WOULD YOU FEEL LIKE FIGHTING SOMEBODY TO PROMOTE THE BOOK?" AND I SAID-- I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND AND I SAID, "YEAH, OKAY."

Lars-Peter: WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE RECEPTION? LIKE, WERE YOU AFRAID THAT THE VIOLENCE WAS GOING TO OVERSHADOW?

Craig: YEAH, WELL, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS MY U.S. PUBLISHER ACTUALLY DROPPED THE BOOK BECAUSE OF ITS VIOLENT NATURE, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE PENGUIN AND THE OTHER PUBLISHERS FOR STICKING WITH IT. BUT IT IS A REALLY VIOLENT-- SOME WOULD SAY VILE, SOME WOULD SAY GRATUITOUS-- BOOK. SO, I THINK IT TAKES A LOT OF GUTS TO PUBLISH IT AND I APPRECIATE PENGUIN FOR DOING IT. UH, AND IT PROBABLY TAKES SOME GUTS TO READ IT AS WELL.

IT REALLY IS ABOUT TWO YOUNG MEN WHO FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T REALLY QUITE SURE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN TODAY'S SOCIETY AND THEY SORT OF TAKE A VERY VIOLENT ROUTE TO FINDING THEIR MANHOOD THROUGH BOXING AND THROUGH FIGHTING.

Crowd: (Chanting) FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Craig: I THINK PROBABLY THE IDEA CAME FROM JUST WHERE MOST WRITERS DO. YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOCIETY AND YOU SEE THINGS CAST BACK AT YOU AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THEM.

Male Announcer: THE WINNER OF THE FIGHT THIS EVENING: RON PRICE FROM THE RED CORNER.

(Audience cheers and applause)

Craig: IT'S PROBABLY DEDICATED TO THE GUYS LIKE ME. I'D LIKE TO THINK IT APPLIES TO A LOT OF GUYS, BUT, YEAH, GUYS OF MY GENERATION WHO ARE SORT OF CONFUSED AND AREN'T SURE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR LIVES. NOT TO SAY THIS IS GOING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT IT MIGHT AT LEAST SAY THAT WE WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

Lars-Peter: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE IDEA NOW?

Craig: SLIGHTLY LESS ENTHUSED. I FELT MYSELF GETTING BEATEN AROUND PRETTY BAD. BUT I LASTED ALL-- WHATEVER THE TIME WAS AND, REALLY, I TOLD EVERYONE I JUST WANTED TO SURVIVE. SO I DID THAT.

Reading it again, I remain baffled. I'm only 31. That's too young to start forgetting huge chunks of your life.

All best, Craig.