The Last Interview
I reluctantly agreed to Melville House publishing my 2014 Bourdain interview, requesting they donate to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline instead of paying me. While I wish Tony was still with us, I find comfort knowing his insights will reach more people while supporting a vital cause.
I almost ignored Melville House when they reached out to ask if I would contribute my 2014 interview with Anthony Bourdain to a small collection they were hoping to publish. But Melville House co-founder Dennis Johnson was both persistent and passionate about the project.
Eventually, I agreed to grant the rights in exchange for a Melville House donation to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I had no interest in personally benefiting from a tragedy that impacted me and so many others so deeply. I wish that Tony was still with us and that this book didn't exist - at least not yet. However, I am happy that the insights and humanity that he shared in our discussion will be available to an even larger audience and a that good cause will benefit in the process. That's a pretty crappy trade, as most silver linings are, but you take what you can get.
The interview itself captures Tony at his most thoughtful and candid. What particularly struck me was his willingness to wade into topics we both knew would be incredibly controversial. While others might carefully dance around geopolitical landmines, Tony dove straight in, offering unfiltered perspectives on conflicts in Gaza, Libya, and beyond. He understood the backlash that would inevitably follow such candor, yet remained committed to sharing the human stories he encountered rather than sanitizing them for public consumption. This courage to speak honestly about complex, polarizing situations—paired with his deep empathy for those caught in their crossfire—was what made his voice so uniquely valuable in a media landscape increasingly dominated by performative outrage and shallow analysis.
The book is available just about everywhere.
