Mr Write

As a young man with a bit of a literary bent, I am always interested in the doings from the world of words. Imagine my surprise to find that there's a new literary voice out there. The voice of a murderous, thugish former dictator. That's right, it seems that Saddam Hussein is really a closet wordsmith. His latest novel - the whimsically titled "Get Out of Here, Curse You!" - has been floating around the Middle East in bootleg form, garnering a cult following. Now, in case you think that Saddam's literary success is just a flash in the pan, this is not his first book. No, Saddam has a long and rich literary career. His other works include "Men and the City" and "Zabiba and the King" which - God as my witness, I swear I'm not making this up - was later turned into a musical. I don't know about you, but when "Zabiba and the King - The Musical" gets its broadway debut, nothing will keep me from seeing it.

Now, I know that the idea of Saddam Hussein, the author, may give some people pause. The thought of a mass murderer as artist, is a little tough to take. This feeling will even increase when people discover that "Get Out of Here, Curse You!" is not the happy go lucky story the title would lead you to believe. I assumed it was a charming romantic comedy, or a sharp but gentle social satire in the Jane Austen vein. Apparently, the book is nothing more a load of anti-American, anti-Jewish propaganda. Come on Saddam, why not produce a work which features the warm, gentle humor you are so famous for?

Still, Saddam's literary success actually gives me hope. I know this sounds strange. Please don't misunderstand me. I hate Saddam. I'm glad he's in prison. I'm glad they took his pants from him. I hope that when Saddam goes to the shower, he is supplied with the world's most slippery bar of soap. But as a person who enjoys writing and thinks it would be neat to write a book and actually have people read it, Saddam's literary exploits give me hope. If one of the most evil men alive can write a book and get people to read it, maybe I can too. After all, I'm not an evil mass murderer. I'm pretty sure I'm not even the most evil person on my block. Also, I'd be willing to wager, I'm a better writer than Saddam. I know for a fact I can come up with better titles and my writing's not fueled by bitter vitriol. So, maybe, just maybe, someday I can be like Saddam - by which I mean a writer with a following not the whole evil dictator, genocidal madman thing. I just want to make that clear.

Shalom