Interview With Author Jake Tapper

In CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s newest book, The Devil May Dance, we’re reacquainted with New York congressman Charlie Marder from the previous book in the fictional series, The Hellfire Club. This time, Marder is hot on the trail of Frank Sinatra and enmeshed in Old Hollywood political drama.

In this AARP Real Conversations series, journalist and TV anchor Derek McGinty talks with Tapper, 52, about how diving into history, especially one he hadn’t lived through, meant a lot of research. And although Tapper wanted the story to stay true to the era, some challenges had him thinking creatively — even going as far as writing his own song for the book because of copyright issues.

“I just thought, to hell with it. I’m going to write my own music. I don’t have to sing it. I don’t have to come up with tunes. But I can just come up with lyrics that are passably real,” Tapper says. “The book is called The Devil May Dance, and that’s premised on the fact that Sinatra sings a song called ‘The Devil May Dance.’ And he performs it in a climatic scene in the book — but it’s all nonsense!” 

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

Listen to Chapter One of Jake Tapper’s newest book, “The Devil May Dance,” available free online to AARP members.