Novelist Bret Easton Ellis took a good swipe at NBC Today host "the perky" Katie Couric in an interview with Portland's News Weekly "Williamette Week." Karla Starr was the interviewer and the interview swerved into Katie and the brilliant author unloaded.

WWeek:

When I was on the Today show last week, I wanted to tell Katie Couric, "Katie, you know nothing about publishing. Nothing about publishing. I know about publishing. You're being very glib."

She was such a bitch to me, I couldn't believe it.

She didn't like me, anyway-we all thought that Matt Lauer was going to do the interview, but then he went to Iraq. So she was really pissed that she had to do the interview, and she was fidgeting-she actually took her glasses off while I was answering a question and said, "Oh, my glasses are so dirty! What's going on?" And I was thinking, "Ugh. Let's just get this over with."

Karla Starr's comment-- Well, it is Katie Couric-I would have just slapped her.

Hey--I like Karla already.

Ellis' work is a pleasure, but I'm guessing I'm not going to quiz him on publishing anytime soon. Then again, plenty of our readers have that same exact opinion of Ms. Couric.

Bret Easton Ellis latest effort, no I haven't received it yet, is Lunar Park.

--Jill Atkins writes from Hollywood.