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I haven't thought about it, and I've been chided for not, so I've got my little book now and Hillary and I have to fill it out. They give you a book to plan your funeral. The government does. It's big. I mean, it's down to the last who gets to sneeze for you.
On whether he's forgiven himself for his mistakes
On most days I have. I'm in a good place now. I've had a wonderful life since I left the White House. Contrary to a lot of the commentators, I haven't been sitting around sulking that I wasn't basking in the spotlight. I hope people will read the book. I worked hard on it. But I am more at peace with who I am in my life than I have ever been. I'm thrilled with how Hillary's doing. And we're still laughing, having a good time together. And my daughter is making her own life, and it's exhilarating. Much to my surprise, she still wants to spend time with her parents sometimes. I love this work I'm doing on AIDS, I love my foundation work. I don't sit around. I don't beat myself up a lot. And I believe, on balance, my life had a lot more good than bad. On balance, my presidency had far more good than bad.
I hope it will free other people to talk more openly about their mistakes and their problems and their fears. I'm trying to liberate people. I think we're so afraid--guys like me and women too, people in public life--we're all afraid that if we admit error or admit fear, we'll be viewed as weak or wanting. That's why when President Bush and I did the portrait unveiling a couple of days ago, I said one of my favorite portraits in the White House was Philip Laszlo's portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in the Cabinet Room. You can see the strength, but you can see the fear. The only thing I can compare Laszlo's portrait of Theodore Roosevelt to is the way Gary Cooper played Will Kane in High Noon. They're both scared, and they do the right thing anyway. To me that's more heroic. The real world has always been more interesting than the mythical world to me. And so I'm hoping that by writing this book, I'll make other people feel free to let go of their anger and resentment and not be afraid to admit what they've done wrong.
PICT-
B/W PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS FOR TIME BY DIANA WALKER Clinton speaks with TIME in his study in the renovated barn adjacent to his home in Chappaqua, N.Y.
FIVE B/W PHOTOS: PHOTOGRAPHS FOR TIME BY DIANA WALKER