Michael asked Charles Graeber:

I noticed as I read The Good Nurse that you refer to Charles Cullen as "Charlie" when speaking about him personally. This use of a nickname suggests a familiarity, and even, possibly, a fondness for him. At the same time, I got the sense that Mr.Cullen is a character we, as readers, could not only pity, but for whom we would roll our eyes. Did you, personally, feel these same ways about him?

Charles Graeber No that's just his name, as it is mine. People call us both Charles now, because that's what's on the driver's license. But if you know the person, and it's not a newspaper's formality or a court appearance, you call them by their name, as they are known to themselves, just as I attempted to depict him as he was, rather than as he only appeared. Any fondness or pity is something that happens to the reader, in moments, when you humanize a human. That in no way excuses his actions, which also speak for themselves, and are damningly detailed in the book, I hope. Formal names protect us, they keep us from being vulnerable. I wanted to strip that away. It's somewhat uncomfortable, isn't it? I thought so. But that was the point, too. Thanks for the question!

flag