Intelligence Matters

Making Fun of Spies: Former CIA Officer and Satirist Alex Finley

Jul 13, 2022

41:13

Highlights

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Episode notes

Is There Anything That Cannot Be Made Fun Of?

03:00

The Greatest Intelligence Service in the History of the World

01:35

Is There a Tradecraft to Writing Humor?

02:06

Introduction

2min

How Did You Become a Director of Operations at CIA?

2min

Is the Bureaucracy of the Agency Just Not the Right Fit for You?

2min

How Did You Get Into Writing Satire?

2min

Is There a Tradecraft to Writing Humor?

2min

Is There More Humour at the Agency Than Other Places?

2min

Is There Anything That Cannot Be Made Fun Of?

3min

Victor in Trouble - A Review

2min

Will There Be a Fourth Book in the Palanteer Series?

2min

10.

Gingerbread House Contest - Is That Real?

1min

11.

The Greatest Intelligence Service in the History of the World

2min

12.

Y Ayiin Es Nas, They Shouldn't Need the Yet, Come On

2min

13.

The Top Policy Maker Declares the War on Terror Over

2min

14.

Hes Take Out With Major Garrett

3min

15.

The President's Dog

1min

16.

The Oligarch and the Yacht Watcher

3min

17.

Are We Watching It Prepare to Flee Sanctions?

2min

18.

How Many Yachts Do You Need?

3min

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Alex Finley, a former CIA officer in the Directorate of Operations and an author of three satirical books depicting life and work at the agency. Finley describes how CIA officers often use humor in unique ways to cope with high-stress assignments, and she and Morell discuss the ways in which satire can illuminate little-known realities about serious subjects. Finley also describes her newfound role as an amateur 'yacht-watcher,' tracking Russian oligarchs' yachts through the port of Barcelona.

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