[From my journal]
Today is my fourth appearance on Philip Gardiner’s syndicated talk show, Gardiners World, sort of an esoteric ‘David Letterman’ show.
On my first visit, some three months earlier, I had spoken about the forgotten legacy of the sacred bee, and on my second, I bantered with my friend, the godfather of punk, Rat Scabies. We disagreed on almost every aspect of Rennes-le-Chateau, no doubt driving Philip batty, before jumping on the motorway and driving back to London, merrily arguing the entire way.
Rat Scabies; killing time in Green Room of Gardiner’s World
My previous appearance, however, was more stressful than the others. I spoke about the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu for an entire hour, a figure which the historical record has all but forgotten, and thus speaking about him for that duration was a feat that even the Egyptian Antiquities Director Zahi Hawass would be challenged to perform, or so I mused.
After several visits on the show, Philip and I have become good friends, and I regard him as a diamond in the rough, a gem in the back stabbing genre of esoteria, a gentlemen; generous, refreshingly cynical and bright.
Philip and I, before my 2nd appearance on Gardiner’s World
Today, however, the tables are turned and I am the interviewer, not the interviewee. My guest is Patrice Chaplin, the best selling author and playwright who is promoting her book, City of Secrets. The fact that Patrice and I are good friends does little to still my nerves, given that the show is broadcast unedited to over 40 million viewers across the globe. Eek!
On the set of Gardiner’s World with Patrice Chaplin
Fortunately for me, Patrice is in top form and that makes the interview a breeze, except for the warnings about pending commercial breaks administered via hand signals from the cameraman that I am supposed to be keeping track of out of the corner of my left eye while fully engaged in conversation! After nearly an hour of chatter we delve into Patrice’s upcoming work, ‘Mr Lazarus’, and a yet to be titled book about portals. Each sounds fascinating and Patrice informs me that she will be conducting a tour of Girona, Rennes-le-Chateau and the sacred Catalan mountain Canigou, in 2010, details of which will be advertised on Arcadia in due course.
As Patrice departs, I am joined by Carrie Kirkpatrick, writer and director of an impressive new documentary on the mysteries of Girona that features Patrice and I as talking heads. The documentary is to air back-to-back with the interview, repeating with regularity on a cable channel near you.
Thanks to Philip for allowing me to learn first hand just how difficult being host actually is!
