I heard the first half of Stephen Colbert's interview on Fresh Air as I picked up my kids from school. Listening to him do a reading from his book, I wondered how he keeps it straight. I mean, isn't the danger of playing a part losing one's true self in one's character?

We are composites. Where our convictions are concerned, not many of us are pure breeds. And the conservative/liberal debate doesn't really line up directly with good v.s evil. I say, it isn't pure like that.

But the process of writing in a way contrary to one's personal positions must be cramping.

Like Lewis said in the Preface to The Screwtape Letters:

"... though it was easy to twist one's mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long.

The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp."