Pat Thetic
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Rolf Munkes
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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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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 Shit 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 Shit 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.

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