Nader at Oblong

MILLERTON — Last Saturday afternoon the village received a small dose of celebrity from Ralph Nader, a four-time presidential candidate and, now, novelist.

Oblong Books & Music hosted Nader at both its Millerton and Rhinebeck locations on Feb. 27 to discuss his first work of fiction, “Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!�

Just don’t call it fiction in front of the author. The text, which imagines a near future where 17 of the country’s richest citizens band together to create a whirlwind of political change, is less of a fantasy world to the author than a pointed commentary to readers that the scenario isn’t as far-fetched as one might imagine.

Warren Buffett, Ted Turner, Yoko Ono, Bill Cosby: these are just a few of the very real Americans at Nader’s literary will, and they are really just a few. Without giving away the ending, Nader envisions Warren Beatty running against current Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the state of California’s election race.

“A lot of people have been saying that lots of these 17 sound like me,� commented Nader sarcastically at one point. “I said, ‘No kidding?’�

It was standing room only at the top floor of the Oblong store in Millerton Saturday afternoon, with people even crowding down into the stairwell for the opportunity to hear Nader discuss the circumstances revolving around his “utopia� and to answer a few audience questions before signing copies of his work.

The central idea of his work isn’t that fantastical, Nader stressed at various points, explaining that you would only need the cooperation of 1 percent of the world’s richest citizens to make “Only the Super-Rich� a reality.

But it was also clear that Nader, who said he has been working on the book for some time, has taken pleasure in turning well-known political celebrities into his personal marionettes.

“I had fun with that one,â€� he repeated numerous times in reference to different scenarios he put  in his book.

The author and politician, who hails from Winsted, Conn., has been touring the country in support of his work, and not even his 76th birthday, which just happened to be Saturday, could slow down Nader’s quest to have the book read, discussed and circulated around the United States.

It was fitting, as Nader’s publicist explained while the author sat down to pose for pictures and sign copies of “Only the Super-Rich� (as well as his nonfiction back catalogue), to stop at independent bookstores like Oblong, seeing that the book was released by independent publisher Seven Stories Press.

“It’s an honor, for one thing,� remarked Oblong owner Dick Hermans, “to get somebody of [Nader’s] stature, reputation and accomplishment. He’s been a household name for over 40 years!�