>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW"!
MY NEXT GUEST IS A EMMY AND GRAMMY AWARD WINNING
COMEDIAN.
JUST A GREAT GUY TO TALK TO.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW, PATTON OSWALT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, STEPHEN.
HI.
>> Stephen: HI.
NOW, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN
THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
>> COULD I JUST SAY REALLY QUICKLY, I'M FEELING A LITTLE
NERVOUS RIGHT NOW, AND, I MEAN, I WOULD NOT MIND SOMETHING THAT
WOULD MAYBE -- ( LAUGHTER )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> OKAY.
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
I'LL TAKE THAT RIGHT THERE.
CHEERS.
>> THERE YOU GO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOW, OUR
GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE TRAGEDY IN FLORIDA HAS BEEN
DISAPPOINTING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: A LACK OF ACTION OR THE ANSWERS A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE COME UP WITH, YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR BONE TO PICK WITH TED
CRUZ.
>> YES.
I'M ANGRY THAT HE IS TRYING TO USE POP CULTURE TO REACH THE
YOUTH, IF YOU WILL.
>> Stephen: THE YOUTH LOVE TED CRUZ.
>> OH, BOY, YOUTH FOR CRUZ.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, I'M VERY
GRATEFUL BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING MORE ENTERTAINING THAN
WHEN REPUBLICANS TRY TO DIP A TOE INTO THE POP CULTURE POOL TO
REACH "THE KIDS" BECAUSE THEY -- >> Stephen: WHAT DID HE DO
THIS TIME?
>> WELL, FIRST HE BROUGHT UP THE SIMPSONS, WHICH THE MINUTE HE
BRINGS UP THE SIMPSONS, YOU MIDDLE EAST GO, OH, DUDE, YOU'RE
GOING TO MESS THIS UP SO BAD.
( LAUGHTER ) AND HE SAID, WELL, THE DEMOCRATS
ARE LIKE LISA SIMPSON, AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE LIKE HOMER.
LISA SIMPSON, THE RESPONSIBLE, BRAINY ONE?
HOMER, THE GUY WHO'S ALMOST BLOWN UP SPRINGFIELD A FEW
TIMES?
( LAUGHTER ) IF ANYTHING, I WANT REPUBLICANS
TO DO THAT MORE.
I WANT THEM TO GET INTO POP CULTURE.
EVERY TIME SOME EVENT COMES UP, THEY SHOULD COME OUT AND GO,
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE DEMOCRATS -- I MEAN, THOSE GUYS ARE LIKE NEO,
AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE THE ORQS THAT HE FIGHTS.
NEO BAGGINS WAS IN -- >> Stephen: YEAH, AND MORPHIUS
WAS HEAD OF THE ORQS.
>> AND THE GUN BILL IS A DeLOREAN HE HAS TO GET INTO
AND HAS TO GET IT TO GO TO 88 MILES AN HOUR.
>> Stephen: OR HE CAN'T GET OUT OF NARNIA.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I GREW UP WHEN A
NERD WAS A NERD.
I PLAYED D&D.
YOU PLAYED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, TOO, DIDN'T YOU?
>> FIRST, SECOND EDITION.
>> Stephen: I PLAYED THE ORIGINAL.
THE ONE THAT JUST HAD THE DRAGON ON TOP OF THE TREASURY.
SOFT BACK.
>> YOU WERE INTO THE SOFT BACK ONE?
THAT'S LIKE SAYING, OH, I HAD METALLICA'S FIRST TAPE WHEN THEY
WERE JUST PASSING IT AROUND BEFORE THE RECORD DEAL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S IT.
WE MIMEOGRAPHED COPIES OF IT AND STAPLED IT.
( LAUGHTER ) THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, YOU
HAVE ACTUALLY COMPLETED AND PRESENTED TO THE WORLD THE WORK
THAT YOUR LATE WIFE WAS CREATING.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: A BOOK -- YOUR WIFE WAS WRITING A BOOK -- YOUR
WIFE WAS WRITING A BOOK ON THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER WHEN SHE
KID.
>> YEAH.
SHE WAS RESEARCHING AND WRITING AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE AS SHE
BEGAN WRITING THIS NONFICTION ACCOUNT OF THIS UNCAUGHT SERIAL
KILLER, SHE BEGAN TO ALSO PUT THE CASE TOGETHER.
SO IT STOPPED BEING SO MUCH ABOUT WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE
CASE AS IT BECAME ABOUT, OH, WAIT A MINUTE, I'M GETTING NEW
LEADS, I'M TALKING TO SURVIVORS, TALKING TO HOMICIDE.
SO IT BECAME THIS TWO-SIDED THING SHE WAS STRUGGLING WITH.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS CALLED "I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK."
AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE LABOR OF LOVE TO
FINISH THIS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND TO PRESENT IT TO THE WORLD IN THE NAME OF YOUR
LATE WIFE.
>> YEAH.
WELL, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT HER RESEARCHER PAUL HAYNES
AND ANOTHER JOURNALIST BILLY JENSEN SAT DOWN WITH ME AND
VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO HELP COMPILE THIS -- I MEAN, SHE HAD
A ROOM FULL OF BANKERS BOXES FULL OF EVIDENCE, THAT WE HAD TO
SOMEHOW COAL LATE AND MAKE INTO A NARRATIVE.
ETH A FASCINATING BOOK IN THAT YOU READ THE PARALLELS OF THE
CASE AS IT HAPPENED BACK IN THE '70s IN CALIFORNIA AND THEN,
AS SHE'S REOPENING IT NOW, AND TALKING TO THE COPS WHO WORKED
ON IT AND WHAT THEY ARE NOW REMEMBERING ABOUT.
SO IT CREATES THIS WEIRD SENSATION OF YOU ARE FEELING
LIKE SOMEBODY COULD ACTUALLY SOLVE THIS MASSIVE -- HE'S THE
WORST UNCAUGHT SERIAL KILLER IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY, AND I THINK
SHE GOT VERY, VERY CLOSE TO CAPTURING HIM.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS CALLED "I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK," THE
MAN PATTON OSWALT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, PAT.