I first got to know today's interviewee when she was my editor when I used to review audiobooks for Emusic and we had lots of fun talking about books, both good and bad. Now she's published her own beautifully illustrated book, Slaughterhouse 90210, based off her Tumblr of the same name, which matches poignant passages from literature with popular moments from television, film, and real life. When she's not matching book quotes with pop culture pictures, she's also a publishing community manager at Kickstarter. You can also follow her here on Twitter!
The Mare, Mary Gaitskill's new novel that comes out in November. I've loved Gaitskill forever, and the book is beautiful. But I can certainly imagine it'll be controversial. I hope it spawns a zillion think pieces--I would like to read them all.
Now: when and where do you most frequently read?
I read on the couch and in bed while snuggling with my pug, Bizzy. I also, instead of working out, walk to work and make time to stop at a coffee shop to read along the way. I try not to know the wifi passwords for the cafes where I choose to read.
Does listening to an audiobook count as reading?
Fuck yeah. The words are getting into your head, and that's all that matters. I would love one day to be able to get a book in liquid form and chug it.
How does the Internet factor into your reading? I often try to purposefully leave my devices in a separate room when I read but sometimes I love having my phone nearby to look up a person, place or instance I see mentioned in a story that I want to learn more about. (But then I check Facebook, and then email...)
Yes, see question #2! I try to give myself space between my book and my devices, which is part of the reason why I prefer to read physical books instead of digital. The tactile feel of a book is the antithesis to a screen. But I do notice that my attention span is just not the same as it was 15 years ago. The days of being able to sit down and read for 4-hour chunks at a time without looking up seem to be behind me. That's very sad. But also I love Twitter.
Have you had many instances where you wake up in a cold sweat and realize you got a Slaughterhouse 90210Â post or page wrong and could have used a better quote or pop culture touchstone?
Of course! Overthinking is my number one hobby. But the good thing about having done the blog for such a silly amount of time (More than 6 1/2 years!) is that at some point it becomes more about the body of work than it is about individual posts. I have put out some stinkers in my time, but I hope they get averaged out by stronger posts.
How did your time in publishing/books prepare you for publishing your own? How were you not prepared at all?
My book is very much about being a fan of other books. So it has been excellent to have so many contacts within the publishing industry who like what I'm doing and are willing to share it and talk it up with their own authors. The goodwill from the industry has been lovely.Â
It's funny because I know all the book publishing lingo and have an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, but being an author is such a singular experience. I think I wasn't prepared to feel so insecure about the whole process, and I remember back when I was an editor hearing that the editor's (and publicist's) job can often feel like being a therapist. Just constantly reassuring these high strung people. I became one of them.
Why does your dog wear that little red vest?
Bizzy is a sweet beautiful pug with a big chunky neck, and apparently collars aren't good for chunky-necked pugs who have breathing troubles. So she wears a little red harness instead. I think it makes her look like a superhero.Â
Do you think nostalgia changes as we get older? I feel like ten or 20 years ago it was more fun to sit around and remember old stuff and now I'm more like "Why can't we just leave Jem alone?"
Oh yes. I feel kinda protective about things I loved as a kid and am weary of new takes, of people who weren't old enough to enjoy them the first time around taking over and distorting them. But I think this is cyclical. I recently saw a college-aged woman wearing '80s-style mom jeans and my reaction to her was probably how older women looked at me when I wore bell bottoms in the '90s.Â
Ignore! The beauty of Kickstarter is that only the projects that generate support from backers get funded. So ignoring sends a powerful message. I think there's so much wonderful stuff being made via Kickstarter today that it completely overshadows the occasional email about a less than thrilling project.
My lipstick game is miserable. What are your secrets?
Lipliner. Color that shit in before you put on lipstick!
What an honor!