PCM's
Melissa got the opportunity to speak with Ritch Gaiti, author
of Points: The Relationship Survival Guide for People
who Don't Like Relationship Survival Guides. Also an
established painter, Gaiti wrote Points under his
Borat-like alter ego I. Glebe. Be sure to check out some
of Glebe's movie reviews on our site, and for more information
on Glebe visit his official
webpage.
Melissa: Hello
Ritch Gaiti: Hi, may I speak with Melissa please?
M: Hi! This is Melissa, is this Ritch?
RG: This is Ritch, this is Glebe.
M: Nice to meet you!
RG: Likewise. Where are you located?
M: We're in Wilmington, Delaware.
RG: Oh, not so far, I'm in New Jersey.
M: I read about that. How are you today?
RG: I'm doing terrific, thank you!
M: That's good to hear. I read that you have an alter-ego
named I. Glebe, and I was wondering how you came up with
that?
RG: Oh, really, truthfully? My best friend in high school,
we always had these alter-egos that we developed, and it
was Front Lick and Glebe. He was Front Lick and I was Glebe.
We always kind of fantasized and developed these egos with
different situations around them. We never picked up any
girls, but we were satisfied. So it's just that I've written
a whole bunch of stuff by Glebe, and then something about
Glebe. So Glebe is sort of a balding Jewish guy who lives
inside of me.
M: So, would you say he's the cooler version of you?
RG: Cooler? I don't know if he's cooler. He's just an average
guy. Just a very, very average guy and he has the same flaws
as any other guy, maybe more so, but he has good stuff,
and he wants to do the right thing. He leaves a little bit
wanting from time to time.
M: (laughs) I read your book "Points,"
and personally I thought it was hysterical.
RG: Thank you.
M: There were parts where I was actually laughing out
loud. The book is a parody on relationship survival guides,
and I was wondering what made you want to write a parody
on a relationship book rather than on another topic?
RG: Well, you know it's funny. I was in the middle of writing
a book about Glebe, an actual fiction book, and I was sitting
down one day with my wife and another couple, and I did
something nice for my wife. Something very trivial. I looked
at my buddy and I said "Points." He immediately
knew what I was saying, this language between guys. He looked
at me and he said "You should have a book about points,
rather than that other drivel you're writing," and
I said "That's a good idea." That night I started
writing it and I said "Well, I know a lot about this
stuff." I was just writing it from the everyday guy's
point of view, and I said this is not that hard. By the
way, anybody could have written this book. I just did it
so they didn't have to. (both laugh) So, it was really funny.
I was writing something that everybody could relate to.
Guys understand this, and women from the other side of the
room can understand it as well form their perspective, and
I just wanted to write something very real, but more importantly,
very funny.
M: How did you develop the point theory? Just from the
initial comment from your friend?
RG: You know what? It just came to me. I just started writing.
I talked to a lot of guys and a lot of women, got lots of
different perspectives. As I was going through, I thought
that things were too structured and there were little points
that kind of disappeared in a day or two and there's points
you get a lot for and they stick around for a while. So
I said "Maybe this will work." Good points, considerate
points where you do little things like you compliment her
saying "That was good falafel last night, Dear"
and then who knows. So those are nice to have, and people
say "What are the points that really work?" It's
when you show them you really care, like when you say "I
love you, Shirley." As long as their name is Shirley.
M: Right, of course! If it's not Shirley, you're in
trouble.
RG: If it's not Shirley, you go right into the hole.
M: (laughs)
RG: Now the hole is a real place! Every guy has been there.
Every guy has been in the hole. Nobody ever squeaks by it.
Everyone goes through it. When a guy's in the hole no matter
what he does he can't get out.
M: That's true.
RG: There's only one way to get out, and that's apologizing.
M: Yup!
RG: Sometimes, he doesn't even know what he's apologizing
for, but it's all his fault. Apologize, own up to, try to
guess it, take out your list, figure out what you did, and
apologize for it. Be sincere and then maybe you're not in
the whole. But it's interesting, I drew on real life experience,
and you know it's not me, I don't know anything. Almost
everybody's had some version of this in their life, but
it's really day-to-day stuff that you deal with and it's
everyday stuff.
M: While married, have you ever read any real relationship
guide books that aren't a parody?
RG: Have I read any? No.
M: None?
RG: Absolutely none. You know why I didn't do that? Well,
number one I'm not really that interested.
M: Right. (giggles)
RG: That's number one. I read other books, but not that.
But number two, I didn't want to even unconsciously take
anybody else's thoughts. I wanted to write my own book.
M: I thought it was very original.
RG: So, it came from within me, and I think it turned out
pretty well. I feel pretty good about it, but sometimes
you read something and unconsciously you're kind of duplicating
it. I just didn't want that.
M: A parody often focuses on stereotypes, so what do you
have to say to the readers who may criticize your book because
they feel like that it focuses too much on stereotypes, and
so they feel like they can't relate to that guy. The one who
only ever watches sports and reads in the bathroom?
RG: Personally, you're absolutely right. It does focus
on stereotypes. The whole thing is about stereotyping guys
as being totally selfish and totally stupid and women as
having a lot of needs and all that. Of course, it's not
true of any individual, but some piece of it is true, so
you know you have to take apart the pieces that fit you,
and only you know that. The book is a whole menu, you don't
have to eat everything on the menu, you just have to pick
apart the pieces that fit you. If they fit, and they're
funny? Great. I'm not worried about stereotyping at all.
Right off the bat I say I'm stereotyping.
M: Right, you do! It's definitely all in fun and meant
to be humorous.
RG: Exactly.
M: And not meant to be taken all that seriously. I read
that you live with your wife, Virginia in New Jersey. What
does your wife think about the book, and your points theory?
RG: I'm still trying to get her to read it.
M: Oh, she hasn't read it yet?
RG: (laughing) No, she's read it. She actually gave
me a lot of advice, she goes "I wish you'd do some
of these things." And the truth is, the funny thing
is as I'm writing this - I think I'm a generally good guy,
not breaking barriers, but I'm okay - as I'm writing the
book I'm saying "Maybe I should do a couple of these
things," you know? I found that during the writing,
my behavior actually changed. On little things and sometimes
on not so little things. So I kind of said to myself - and
this was not my intention but - I said to myself, "You
know, some of this stuff really works!" (both laughing)
So it's really funny and I was amazed. None of these things,
by the way, were new to me. Every guy knows they should
do a little bit more of this, a little bit more of that,
but it's just not in our nature to do it. I'm kind of outing
all guys here, but that's the nature of the beast. I found
that I started changing, and she has started to respond
to me a little differently. We always had a good relationship,
but it's kind of notched it up to a different level. Whether
that's because of the book or not, I don't really know,
but I do think I've kind of gotten an inch closer to being
the almost-good husband.
M: (laughs) Well that's good. Has writing always
been something that you've been interested in?
RG: Absolutely. I love to write. I love to write humor.
I love to poke fun at things. I think the world is far too
serious, and writing is just fun. Sometimes when I really
love to write is when I get really inside of a character
like Glebe, and I can really talk from his head you know?
When I'm doing that I am Glebe, I am writing as Glebe and
so it really becomes interesting. Glebe amuses me. I said
once "I read what he's written with my hands."
M: That's funny.
RG: Writing has always interested me. I've always liked
to write. I've written a few manuscripts. This is my first
one that's gotten published. I've written other things in
different genres but this is the first one that's breaking
through, and I have a whole series of Glebe books that I'm
going through right now.
M: I read that you also paint?
RG: Yeah! I'm a Southwestern artist.
M: I was wondering why you decided to paint with that
theme of the Southwest?
RG: You know what? That's a good question, and the answer
is I don't know. But the real answer is there's something
about the west that I love, and something about Native American
culture. It's just so beautiful and the way they think about
the world, the way they think about the Earth and just the
colors they use. Basically it just feels very serene, very
beautiful, very peaceful much of the time. So it makes me
feel good. When I paint the west, I paint the west of maybe
200 years ago before it was destroyed by grayer skies. I
love to paint horses, particularly. I do a lot of horse
paintings. Did you see my website?
M: I did see your website. I looked at your paintings, and
I thought they were lovely.
RG: Oh, thank you, thank you. So, you know, there's something
about it that just opens up a whole new world inside of
me, and I get very visceral about it and I feel like I'm
there. I feel like I'm living a memory that I couldn't have
had.
M: Would you ever consider writing about the Southwest
at all?
RG: Sure! You know, if I feel close to the subject matter
sure. Absolutely. Writing about the Southwest is good. You
know, one of my manuscripts which has not been publishes
is about living in that era.
M: Oh! That's interesting!
RG: About the southwest and also the all the things going
on and changes in history. But it really based on Native
American culture.
M: So you write general fiction then, as well?
RG: Yeah, well this one was more general fiction. What
I'm really trying to do is develop the Glebe brand and write
a lot more under the name of Glebe and my humor stuff, so
I wrote Points. As I said, I have several books. On my drawer
right now I have some of which are pretty well complete.
Glebe is, you know, a real character. He's almost like a
Borat.
M: Right! I was thinking that!
RG: There's something kind of a little bit quirky, but
he deals with things that we touch every day.
M: I was actually wondering if you were going to come
talk to me today as Glebe or as yourself.
RG: Well, if you didn't say "Ritch," I would
have said "Glebe."
M: Would you? (laughing)
RG: I usually answer these as Glebe. We're having more
of a conversation but sometimes when I'm interviewing on
the radio or tv I'm Glebe all the way, and I don't talk
about anything other than Glebe. You kind of took it in
a different direction, which is fine with me. Yesterday
I did a TV interview for a half hour and I was Glebe all
the time. We didn't talk about anything but Glebe.
M: Wow! I would have been nervous, I think to talk to
him. He's a funny guy! I spent some time poking around your
website, and I was wondering how involved you are in the
design of your Glebe site.
RG: I designed and built the whole thing myself. I'm having
it redone actually by someone else. It's hard to do it myself.
My technical skills are limited but I know enough. The painting
website I built myself. I like to get my hands on it a little
bit technically, but I just don't have time 'cause I'm doing
too many things right now.
M: I also noticed that you had a MySpace page as yourself,
but you don't have one as Gelebe.
RG: I never really use MySpace, should I be on there as
Glebe?
M: Yeah. A lot of people we speak with, MySpace is like
the center of how they relate to their fans.
RG: Yeah, I think I will do that. I'll do that actually
when we get off the phone. Get on as Glebe 'cause I think
that makes more sense.
M: I think that would be a good idea for you. Okay, so
I found out online that a Rich Gaiti was the co-executive
producer of New York At The Movies. Can you tell us a little
about that experience.
RG: Well, it took over my life. (laughs) I was involved.
I'll give you an idea of my history in that world. I was
in the corporate world for a long time. I ran a pretty big
technology organization and then I left the corporate world
in pursuit of my life dream and basically get into writing
and movie production. I wanted to write and direct films,
feature films. So I went to director's school, and I did
okay there and eventually formed my own production company,
and we had a lot of little projects but could never get
the feature made. But I was an executive producer on New
York at the Movies which was a series that never took off.
It was supposed to be about movies that took place in a
particular city; in this case it was New York. Then we'd
interview a whole bunch of actors and directors that were
in these movies and show locations.
M: Is that something you'd consider doing again, or
as you said it's another life?
RG: It's another life. Ancient history. You know, I'd rather
talk about all the things I have on the plate than all the
things I've done before.
M: Well, that is actually my next question. What can
we expect from you in the future, and from Glebe of course?
RG: Well, Glebe has a number of things. Glebe has a new
book that I'm looking for a publisher for. I'm talking to
a few publishers right now. Glebe and The tish List That
Changed the World. It's really a very, very funny book about
how an ordinary guy becomes a champion of the people, a
voice of the people. And right now, just to be half-serious
for a moment, as individuals we have no power at all.
M: That's true.
RG: Let's say you have a big dispute with a company you
know when you buy their product or you can't get through
to them on the phone. You feel powerless in that situation.
Companies don't respond to you as an individual any more
with phone calls and audio responses, and everything else
or just advertising too much or talking too much. So Glebe
kind of canvassed the entire population of the world and
says "If everybody gets together all your 'one votes'
can add up to lots of votes."
M: It's a good point.
RG: And he really does this in a very funny way. So that's
one book. I'm writing another one right now. I've hardly
chosen the title on that one; it's called "The Idiot
Conspiracy."
M: Okay, what'll that be about?
RG: It's about the dumbing down of America. (Both laughing)
Also written by Glebe and it's about how America has become
very dumb because big business has taken us over and reduced
us to, you know, little niches. It's also about how the
individual has no power, but the first book Glebe is a very
cute, a very funny fictional novel and the other one is
also very funny but it's, of course, it's non-fiction, more
like Points.
M: Those sound very interesting. I can't wait for them
to come out!
RG: They'll be coming out to the website, Glebe's tish List Website.
M: Right, I did read about that.
RG: We also have a Points board game coming out later this
year. That's in development right now. So I have a whole
bunch of Glebe stuff going around at the moment.
M: That's great. So, I have one last one question for
you: Can you tell us an interesting fact about yourself
that our readers may not already know?
RG: About Glebe?
M: About Glebe or yourself, either one.
RG: Oh, gee, I don't know which one to talk about; they're
two different people. Well me, I fly planes.
M: Oh, you fly planes!
RG: Yeah, I'm a pilot but that's just for fun, just one
of my hobbies. About Glebe let's see if I can tell you something
interesting about Glebe: Glebe was actually fired once from
a big job in advertising and then he got divorced the next
week.
M: Oh! That's sad for him.
RG: But that brought on good things, it brought upon good
change in his life. Sometimes you get into the quick, and
sometimes you get into (this is a Glebe-ism), you need something
dramatic to change to get out of the safe groove of life.
M: That's very profound.
RG: There's channels and safe grooves and we feel very
comfortable there; you need something to change that sometimes.
Sometimes it feels like bad things but it can be a good
one.
M: Okay, well, it's been very nice talking to you and
we look forward to seeing more from Glebe. So, thank you
and have a great afternoon!
RG: Okay, thanks Melissa! Bye.
M: Bye.
