Another City, Not My Own

With so many books written about the O. J. Simpson trial, did you ever consider not going ahead with writing this book?

A:  I wasn't trying to do a definitive piece on the O. J. Simpson trial. There have been 58 books, and I'm sick of it -- sick of reading about it. I wanted to show a city in the grip of a murder trial. Because what was fascinating was that all over that city [Los Angeles] no matter what strata, the main conversation was about that trial. It was the obsession -- from the guy putting the gas in your car to the grandest Hollywood house.

Q:  There has been a lot of talk about how much of your book is fiction and how much is not fiction. Except for Gus Bailey and the members of his family, all of the names in the book are actual ones -- from Diana, Princess of Wales, to Elizabeth Taylor to Frank Sinatra to Kirk Douglas. Can you comment on that?

A:  Another City Not My Own is an autobiography of myself during that year of my life -- and it is extraordinarily accurate. The character Gus Bailey is unmistakably Dominick Dunne, and the books and miniseries are mine. Most of the conversations in the book actually took place, and the characters are actual people with whom I came in contact; the book reflects what went on around that trial.

Q:  What about the inclusion of Andrew Cunanan?

A:  Oh, yes. Well, halfway through writing the book -- when Andrew Cunanan was on his cross-country tour -- I was reminded of how many successful industry men bring young boys to parties -- any one of whom could have been Cunanan. Though I may have met Cunanan, I can't say that I ever actually did. But I needed a character like him, and he seemed to be the perfect solution.

Q:  Can you name some of the writers who have influenced or impressed you over the years?

A:  I write every day of my life, but I am a constant reader. I knew Truman Capote, and he's been a huge influence on my career; oddly enough we write on the same subjects -- murder and society. But In Cold Blood is one of the most brilliant books ever written by an American. I just finished English writer John Banville's book The Untouchable, an account of Anthony Blunt, who was curator of the queen's pictures and discovered to be one of Britain's spies for the Soviet Union. It is just a masterpiece of wonderful writing. My favorite classic author is Anthony Trollope.