This is the situation readers face in David L.
Angier’s debut novel, “Political Animal,” the opening salvo of a trilogy that
will explore Florida politics, courtroom drama and wacky characters. (Book two,
which is not yet complete, is currently titled “Strange Bedfellows.”)
For Madden, a claim of self defense just might make
him the ideal candidate for an ultra-conservative political group with a gun
rights agenda. With the help of a savvy campaign manager and a mysterious “dirty
deeds” man, Madden turns the election process on its ear, molds the killing
into a political statement and runs as “the candidate who isn’t afraid to do
what needs to be done.”
“Political Animal” is Angier’s first novel after
publishing two nonfiction books, “The Madness of Joe Francis” (2013) and
“Salvaged Santa” (2011, with Greg Wilson). He has two more nonfiction books on
his schedule, but unlike his other work — which has focused on telling the true
stories behind the headlines, and which is written with the audience in mind —
this novel was about having fun.
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| David L. Angier |
“I didn’t write this one for anyone else but me,”
Angier said during a recent conversation at Amavida Coffee & Tea in St.
Andrews. “I decided right off I was just going to have fun with this project,
and I enjoyed writing it. I used to say I didn’t think I’d ever write a novel, but
now I don’t want to write nonfiction again.”
Angier, 50, was raised in the Clearwater area near
Tampa. He earned a degree in Journalism and Communications from the University
of Florida, where he “suffered along
with my classmates through a spree of murders by a serial killer that
terrorized the campus.” After graduation, he worked as a courts and crime
reporter with several newspapers in Florida, Missouri and Illinois, before
landing at The News Herald, where he covered courts and crime for the next 12
years.
“Florida is a great place to grow up, especially if
you have an appreciation for tropical weather, string bikinis and warm Gulf of
Mexico waters,” he says in a biographical note. “Panama City has turned out to
be the richest area for news I’ve ever encountered, and my first two (and next
two) nonfiction books are from events in that area.”
As a reporter, Angier said he often would find
himself composing an article in his head as he drove back to the office from
court or the scene of a crime. Now, he does the same thing with fiction, as an
inspiration strikes and he begins letting a scenario play out in his head.
“Then I go back to my home office and start
writing,” he said. “I try to follow the flow and let the story dictate itself.
... Dialogue moves things along. I do a lot of character development through
dialogue.”
Real people are complex collections of sometimes
contradictory personality traits. Angier said he builds characters by focusing
on just a few traits, which allows him to divide aspects of “a normal human
being” into several characters. Readers fill in the gaps, but the traits make
the characters memorable.
“I find characters I want to write about and put
them in completely fictional settings,” he said.
Angier doesn’t plan to hold formal book signing
events, but he said you’re liable to catch him hanging out at The Wine Dog off
23rd Street any given Friday evening, having a cigar and a beer; he’ll have
some books with him that he’s selling for only $5 each (they cost about twice
that online).
“Like I said, I’m not trying to make a ton of money
with this book,” he said. “It’s about having fun. If people read it and enjoy
it, then I’ve succeeded.”
- ‘Political Animal’
- What: Debut novel by David L. Angier (242 pages, paperback)
- Where: Available on Amazon.com or via DavidLAngier.com
- Price: $8.99 online or $5 in person
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