Episode 15: Chris Hauty, author of Dead Ringer, and Books as (bad) gifts

Author and screenwriter Chris Hauty joined us to discuss his latest thriller, Dead Ringer, about a JFK assassination conspiracy—and if you think you’ve heard it all on this topic, we assure you this novel will take you somewhere unexpected. Chris shared his surprising influences and offered insights about where Hollywood and book publishing overlap (and where they don’t). 

Then, we ponder why books are such popular gifts when they’re actually rather fraught as an item to give someone else. What if they don’t like it? Or you’re trying too hard? Or … what if we’re overthinking this topic. Hmm.

Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty is out now.

Works cited this episode:

Crossroads, Jonathan Franzen
Notes of a Dirty Old Man, Charles Bukowski
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, dir. Quentin Tarantino
Sniper: Ultimate Kill, dir. Claudio Fäh
Three Days of the Condor, dir. Sydney Pollack
Winter’s Bone, dir. Debra Granik
Winter’s Bone, Daniel Woodrell
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Gift, Lewis Hyde
“The Gift of the Magi,” O Henry
Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy
Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Dog Man, Dav Pilkey
Our Share of Night, Mariana Enriquez
Sister Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson, Claire Hoffman
They Flew: A History of the Impossible, Carlos Eire
Why? The Purpose of the Universe, Philip Goff
The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead
“Don’t Buy Me Books,” Katherine Marciniak, Bookriot