Look, some ideas come from divine inspiration. They are a flash when you fall asleep or a moment of clarity driving to work. Those are special moments that happen once, maybe twice in someone’s life.
 
This was not one of those moments.
 
In fact, while I watched the Stern Show when it used to be broadcast on E, I had never been a regular listener. I had nothing against it, I’m just not a morning radio guy. But I knew about Howard, Robin, Gary and the gang because, well, to live in New York, as I have since 1993, or follow anything about pop culture, it’d be impossible not to. They seemed funny to me.
 
Back in March, after I had just turned in the edits for The Ones Who Hit The Hardest, my agent asked me if I would talk to Gary about a book. “He’s a great guy,” he said. “Big sports fan, good stories, crazy life. I think you guys will hit it off.”
 
So Gary and I spoke one Saturday afternoon. The conversation lasted an hour. Up until then I didn’t know about the pitch, or his brother dying of AIDS or his mom being crazy. But, when we were done, I knew he had a book in him. In fact, I knew exactly how I would start the story if he decided he wanted to work with me.
 
Luckily, he did.