RP: So you decided to stay in Madrid. What did you find here that was better?

NB: Spain isn't better. This country has serious problems. The ongoing conflict with the Basques, political corruption, and don't forget, there are still people here who miss the Fascists! But there's something about living in a country that's not your own. The problems are less emotionally wrenching somehow. Not for the Spanish, of course, but for me, it's easier to live with.

RP: How do you make a living here? Unless you're independently wealthy ...

NB: Far from it. Oh, I still get the occasional royalty check from one of my books, but that's just pocket money. Mainly, I write. I've learned passable Spanish, and there are numerous literary magazines here, something which seems to have become extinct in the States. I don't get rich here, but I don't starve either. And being an American expatriate is still worth an invitation to dinner once in a while.

RP: A number of people have claimed that you swore a solemn oath never to return to the US. Any truth to that?

NB: Of course not. The United States will always be my home, and I'd love to go back someday. But with Bush Junior in the White House, that day is looking pretty far off. He embodies the very worst of the American character: narowmindedness, self-obsession, and arrogance. He seems hell-bent on making the rest of the world despise the US, and to judge by what the Spanish think of him, he's doing a great job. No, I don't believe I'll be returning home at any point in the forseeable future. I will, however, continue to keep track of the affairs of the United States, and to comment upon them whenever I feel so inclined.

RP: Does that mean we can look forward to more of your "Dateline Madrid" pieces?

NB: If circumstances permit, yes, I expect so.

RP: Thank you for your time, Mr. Bigelow.

NB: Not at all.