James Gandolfini RIP

It’s no secret that I feel an affinity for Tony Soprano more than any other fictional character ever. My closest friends and peers agree on that, as well. I know this because in the first five minutes after news of his death broke this evening, I received 16 texts from them asking if I’d heard. My friends understand that I identify with Tony because, behind the scenes, in many ways, I am Tony. Replace “mob” with “publishing” and “Italian” with “Irish” and there are countless times that character’s personal struggles mirrored my own. And yes, I know how fucked up it is to identify that closely with a sociopath mob boss who constantly questions his identity and purpose. My therapist and I have discussed it many times. And I’ll tell you what I told her. Part of it was great writing. But another part was what James Gandolfini put into the role. Rest In Peace…