Interview With P.J. O’Rourke

P.J. O’Rourke is one of the most popular modern American humorists, but he’s also a car nut. We find out that O’Rourke comes from a long line of Buick men and then take a humorous look at the sad state of the American auto industry as we discuss his book “Driving Like Crazy.” Starting with his days at National Lampoon magazine in the 1970s, O’Rourke went on to write for magazines such as Playboy, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Harper’s and Rolling Stone. He’s also the author of best-selling books like Republican Party Reptile, Parliament of Whores, Give War A Chance and Peace Kills: America’s Fun New Imperialism. He’s best known as a political humorist, but he’s also an automotive journalist, having written for Car and Driver and Automobile. We discuss his book, which is a collection of auto-related stories, celebrating his love of cars and mourning the sad state of the American auto industry. The full, official title of the book is Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years Of Vehicular Hell-Bending, Celebrating America The Way It’s Supposed To Be, With An Oil Well In Every Backyard, A Cadillac Escalade In Every Carport And The Chairman Of The Federal Reserve Mowing Your Lawn.