I've done hundreds, if not thousands, of rock and roll interviews over the years. They're pretty easy. The first question is usually "what are your influences?" Then they ask what your favorite breakfast cereal is, and maybe something about Star Wars. They may, though this is optional, ask you to specify your favorite Monkee. (NB: the correct answer is always Mike.) They'll want to know what you think of some band you never heard of that is apparently on MTV all the time. You'll be asked if you're bitter about the fact that there are people out there who are more famous than you. Eventually, they'll say they don't like your latest album as much as the other ones and give you an opportunity to apologize.
I haven't done any "literary" interviews yet, obviously. If I ever do any, I suppose I'll learn soon enough where the overlapping areas are. Those will be the easy ones. And I guess at some point I'll figure out the right way to answer questions like this:
To me, language is a plastic Buddha from a five-and-dime store: it evokes, it triggers, but, without proper mindfulness, it’s just another thing to dust. How do you, as a writer, crawl inside of it? Shake it around? Spin the cylinder and feel its kick?
Well, in case that question ever does come your way, try not to do what ol' AB did and begin with "I like what you say." What a liar, that AB.
Posted by: Matt R. at April 24, 2005 05:54 PMOne word: "Counselor".
Posted by: Wes at April 25, 2005 12:29 AM"I don't care if it rains or freezes/Long as I got my plastic Jesus/Riding on the dashboard of my car."
Oh, you said Buddha. Oops.
Posted by: Elizabeth at April 25, 2005 04:40 AMOr the, if you had to personify the novel as a whole, who would it personify and why?
Posted by: Leslie at April 30, 2005 01:53 AMA great excuse to share this interview:
Vivien’s Vibes, by Vivien Dunn, Fizz magazine, 1995. Vivien interviews the band members of Come.
http://members.cox.net/inferiority/thalia-zedek/fizz.html
Posted by: slickdpdx at May 1, 2005 06:52 PMNo speaka da English.
From there, there are a couple of Marx Brothers bits to flow into, but you'd need to be interviewed aws a band for that to work; beyond that, simply do Groucho, rather than Chico. Though his techniques wre inadequate to anything other than being funny, more than not.
Posted by: Gary Farber at May 6, 2005 06:30 AM