Double Jeopardy introduction

I've always been fascinated with chimps and their relationship to humanity. The idea that people tried to keep chimps as pets, civilize them, speaks volumes as to human nature and the real relationship of the world. I think it talks about humanity's need for companionship and the inherent chaotic, frenzied identity of the Natural World. As humans we're constantly changing language and inventing rules to make our world more nurtured and more comfortable and womb-like, whereas the Natural World doesn't have those rules at all, and our realization of that can be very frightening.

It's funny, the movie Primate (which I admired) told me I needed to get my ass in gear when it came to this idea. However, as I'm releasing this book, I'm looking ahead to the new movie The Drama and its much-discussed twist about the school-massacre (which I had no idea about when writing the book).

When I wrote the book, my main influence was We Need to Talk about Kevin with the structure of letters, although I also (fittingly) thought about "The Monkey's Paw" and its fantastic twist ending.

Also, I hate to have to talk about this, though after I had finished writing the book, Trump posted that horrific picture of Barack and Michelle Obama. The book cover does raise ugly, unintentional memories of that but I have to be clear, if the chimpanzees resemble anyone, it is Donald Trump. The ripping up of rules and order, the tendency toward chaos, the basic instincts etc. Trump is far more de-volved. In fact, the quote used "welcome to a world without rules" references what Macron said indirectly about Trump.