Straight, No Chaser...E. Lockhart

E. Lockhart has this way of eliciting the strangest information from me. Thanks to her, now people know exactly what type of groupie I'd be (you know, if it weren't for that whole husband and kids thing) and that apparently, I'm a raging feminist. Who knew all that male-bashing I've done in the past had an actual politically correct purpose?

But now I get to delve into E's mind and find out a little bit about her latest book, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

Clichés

Which cliché best describes you as an author?

Brooding Hemingway type
Eclectic Toni Morrison
Candace Bushnell Zeitgeist

EL: I think I write literary fluff, or maybe fluffy literature. So maybe Eclectic Brooding Zeitgest?

TCL says, only use fluffy literature when throwing books at people.

Stereotypes

Complete this sentence: I’m a total….from my BLANK to my BLANK, I could write the book on being BLANK

EL: I am a total Brooklynite. From my crammed apartment to my blue-painted toenails, my intimate knowledge of the subway system to my massive consumption of bagels, I could write the book on Brooklyn.


Pop Culture References

Using either television, film or literary references, give us the one or two sentence pitch you’d give film agents:

EL: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is the love child of Dead Poets Society and Mean Girls.

If you did an informercial for your book, who would be the perfect celeb to serve as the pitch guy or gal? And why?

EL: I would want novelist John Green to pitch Disreputable History. Does he count as a celebrity? Maybe in the world of YA literature.

Why? Because John actually likes my books (I wouldn't believe it if Cher said she liked my books, you know? Though I would enjoy having Cher, just because she's, well, Cher, and maybe I'd get to see what her real hair looks like). Anyway, John actually likes my books, he writes novels that are extremely awesome and kinda similar to mine but get more respect; he's funny, and librarians love him. He makes great video blogs.


Stalkerazzi

Complete this sentence: It’s a good thing I’m not a stalker or else INSERT NAME OF CELEB MINOR OR MAJOR would be in trouble because

Example: or else Reggie Bush would be in trouble because I’d be hiding in his shrubbery trying to get a photo of those abs!


EL: Okay, I am a big dork but I had to google-image Reggie Bush.

HelLO, abs! Those are incredibly serious, Paula!

Honestly. I don't know. Even when I was 12 I was never one to have like pictures of Sean Cassidy up on my wall. (Yes, Sean Cassidy. I am that old, okay?)

But I did have a dream once that I was friends with Liz Phair. She really thought I was cool. Which in real life she probably would not.

TCL says, shame on E for not knowing Reggie Bush's abs. Gah! And I never thought I'd EVER say this, but I'm jealous of Kim Kardashian (the Abmeister's GF).


History Lesson
A lot of times, authors start a book with one concept in mind (especially us pantsters) and end up with a totally different story. For your most current book tell us where you story started and ultimately ended.

EL: Nice question! The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks started out as a book about kids playing truth or dare, and ended up a book about feminism, old boys networks and secret societies.


Those crazy desert Island Questions

You’re on a desert island with a cell phone. Miraculously it has two bars and enough battery life to make one three minute call. Whom do you call?

EL: I call my home. The people I live with.

If someone were deserted on an island and came across your book washed ashore, what’s the one thing they’d take from it and want to share with the world once they got back to civilization?
EL: Women don't have full social equality yet, even though we have equal rights. Hello? Let's get on that.

Which celebrity would you like to see put on a bus and dropped in the desert? And why?

EL: I am deeply annoyed by many celebrities, but I would never want any of them dropped in the desert, because I get so much enjoyment out of gofugyourself.typepad.com. The worse the celebrities are, the better Go Fug Yourself gets, so let them live on in their crazy outfits!