A quick plug for DEATH BY KILLING before we move on. Many visitors to this site are keen fans of the short story. It's a wonderful form and seems to fit the world we inhabit rather well - great for downloading, there are brilliant anthologies in print and online, you get a big kick or real emotional rides when they work for you, you can fit them in during a lunch break or while you wait for the bus or in between the needs of your kids.
Great to see DBK putting together list of favourites from the year and well worth a visit to check whether you agree, disagree or just need high quality recommendations from writers and readers alike.
My favourite 5 are up there now, so go and throw something at me via the comments box if you feel like it.
And now, a lady with the handle Pop Culture Nerd (can she really be that nerdy?) interviews herself for our entertainment. A warm hand please...
Q) Who are you and why are you here? This feature is only for talented writers who wear pants.
A) That's what I said! But Nigel asked nicely and I'm a fan of his short stories. ’An Arm And A Leg’, ’Beat On The Brat’ and ’Taking A Line For A Walk’ are all terrific. Oh, and he offered me a used Jacuzzi.
Q) Say what?
A) Now I can have hot tub parties! It fits 17 people. More if they're 5' 4" and under.
Q) I am bowled over by that useless information. Can we get back to my original question?
A: I'm a blogger covering pop culture. I work in the entertainment industry and get to see/read a lot of things before they're released. In my past life I've been a news reporter, radio DJ, actor, Baskin-Robbins employee, book editor and undercover stringer for a private eye.
Q) Seriously?
A: Yeah, I worked on a case for a big movie-star client. Then my boss got arrested. That ended my P.I. days.
Q) Why are you attracted to crime fiction?
A) To me, almost everything is crime fiction. The first books I can recall reading are Tintin and Smurfs. Tintin was always facing off against nefarious characters and the Smurfs had to contend with the evil Gargamel. Star Wars is crime fiction; so are the Harry Potter books. I'm inspired by stories of people who try to do the right thing at great risk to themselves. I also enjoy explorations of the dark side, something we all have, whether it's anger at life in general or the driver who just cut you off. We may have to repress it in life but in crime fiction, we sometimes get to give in to it and fulfill our revenge fantasies.
Q): Your blog title says you're a nerd. What gives you nerd cred?
A: I'm good at chess, play the violin, excel in math, love electronic gadgets, enjoyed being on the debate team, wear thick glasses, can recite all the dialogue from Star Wars, love comic books and superheroes, obsess about correct grammar, and was never ever asked out on dates in high school. In a nerd-off, you should put money on me.
Q): OK, that's pretty nerdy.
A: And you're the pot calling the pot black. But being a nerd is great. If you're cool, you have to do certain things to live up to the image, like wear tight jeans or something. If no one expects that of you, you're free to do whatever you want. Once, I wore a home perm, jazz shoes and bicycle shorts all at the same time. Betcha Clooney can't pull that off.
Q) I'm sure he frets about it every day. You mentioned you like superheroes. What superpower would you want?
A) The ability to slap loud talkers at the cinema without being seen.
Q) That would be an AWESOME power. Of all the celebs you've encountered, who's the coolest?
A) Chuck Norris, no doubt. Nice and generous beyond the call.
Q) What about your hopes and dreams?
A) I'd like a sandwich named after me at Sizzler.
Q) Fears?
A) Dodgeball.
Q) Terrifying. Any questions for me?
A) If something is bigger than a pet peeve, is it called a wild peeve? Why do people say "needless to say" and then say that needless thing anyway? Isn't it better to acknowledge the huge zit on someone's nose than pretend it isn't there? What do you do at a dinner party when the host serves octopus and you've always been terrified of giant killer octopuses?
Erm, I think I'll just wrap this up and submit your queries to the general public. Thanks for reading and if you've got answers to these burning questions, please leave them in the comments.
http://popculturenerd.com
Great to see DBK putting together list of favourites from the year and well worth a visit to check whether you agree, disagree or just need high quality recommendations from writers and readers alike.
My favourite 5 are up there now, so go and throw something at me via the comments box if you feel like it.
And now, a lady with the handle Pop Culture Nerd (can she really be that nerdy?) interviews herself for our entertainment. A warm hand please...
Q) Who are you and why are you here? This feature is only for talented writers who wear pants.
A) That's what I said! But Nigel asked nicely and I'm a fan of his short stories. ’An Arm And A Leg’, ’Beat On The Brat’ and ’Taking A Line For A Walk’ are all terrific. Oh, and he offered me a used Jacuzzi.
Q) Say what?
A) Now I can have hot tub parties! It fits 17 people. More if they're 5' 4" and under.
Q) I am bowled over by that useless information. Can we get back to my original question?
A: I'm a blogger covering pop culture. I work in the entertainment industry and get to see/read a lot of things before they're released. In my past life I've been a news reporter, radio DJ, actor, Baskin-Robbins employee, book editor and undercover stringer for a private eye.
Q) Seriously?
A: Yeah, I worked on a case for a big movie-star client. Then my boss got arrested. That ended my P.I. days.
Q) Why are you attracted to crime fiction?
A) To me, almost everything is crime fiction. The first books I can recall reading are Tintin and Smurfs. Tintin was always facing off against nefarious characters and the Smurfs had to contend with the evil Gargamel. Star Wars is crime fiction; so are the Harry Potter books. I'm inspired by stories of people who try to do the right thing at great risk to themselves. I also enjoy explorations of the dark side, something we all have, whether it's anger at life in general or the driver who just cut you off. We may have to repress it in life but in crime fiction, we sometimes get to give in to it and fulfill our revenge fantasies.
Q): Your blog title says you're a nerd. What gives you nerd cred?
A: I'm good at chess, play the violin, excel in math, love electronic gadgets, enjoyed being on the debate team, wear thick glasses, can recite all the dialogue from Star Wars, love comic books and superheroes, obsess about correct grammar, and was never ever asked out on dates in high school. In a nerd-off, you should put money on me.
Q): OK, that's pretty nerdy.
A: And you're the pot calling the pot black. But being a nerd is great. If you're cool, you have to do certain things to live up to the image, like wear tight jeans or something. If no one expects that of you, you're free to do whatever you want. Once, I wore a home perm, jazz shoes and bicycle shorts all at the same time. Betcha Clooney can't pull that off.
Q) I'm sure he frets about it every day. You mentioned you like superheroes. What superpower would you want?
A) The ability to slap loud talkers at the cinema without being seen.
Q) That would be an AWESOME power. Of all the celebs you've encountered, who's the coolest?
A) Chuck Norris, no doubt. Nice and generous beyond the call.
Q) What about your hopes and dreams?
A) I'd like a sandwich named after me at Sizzler.
Q) Fears?
A) Dodgeball.
Q) Terrifying. Any questions for me?
A) If something is bigger than a pet peeve, is it called a wild peeve? Why do people say "needless to say" and then say that needless thing anyway? Isn't it better to acknowledge the huge zit on someone's nose than pretend it isn't there? What do you do at a dinner party when the host serves octopus and you've always been terrified of giant killer octopuses?
Erm, I think I'll just wrap this up and submit your queries to the general public. Thanks for reading and if you've got answers to these burning questions, please leave them in the comments.
http://popculturenerd.com
Whoa! PCN, did you work for Anthony Pellicano?
ReplyDeleteFantastic interview! I hereby declare nerd is the new cool. (Says the grammar obsessed molecular biologist Star Wars geek.)
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty cool stuff -- though , for a nerd, maybe pretty nool stuff? (Drool? Dunno.) Alls I knows is her blog is neat. So's she.
ReplyDeletePretend like you're sick and you have to go home? Oh, you weren't asking me that? Sorry.
ReplyDeletePCN is my hero. When I grow up; I wanna be just like her. :-)
Nerds unite! (Who did get asked out on dates in high school, anyway?)
ReplyDeleteUm, in your past jobs listing you left out the most glamorous one of all...transcriptionist! Whoo-hoo! Although we did way more talking than transcribing at that job, so, it's probably a good thing we were let go! Ha!
ReplyDeleteGreat interviews, PCN! I can't think of a better person to interview you than, well...you! :)
I'm somewhat envious of your undercover days. That {together with learning how to martial arts kick ass} is one of my little fantasies. Meanwhile, I'll bring some of my old perm photos along to your hot tub party.
ReplyDeletePCN, you are much too gorgeous for me ever to believe you were dateless in high school. But thank you for making nerdom cool. Great interview!
ReplyDeletePCN answer Naomi's question! Answer Naomi's question!! (I was going to ask it, too, but she beat me to it!
ReplyDeleteI've been out of the house most of the day and it's such a treat to come home and see your generous comments. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNaomi & Brett--No, it wasn't Pellicano. I guess he didn't have the lock on PIs getting arrested.
Chris--Oh, man, molecular biologist? I nominate you for president of the nerd society!
AJ---Thanks for saying that about my blog. I choose the drool because I do that often, usually in the vicinity of donuts.
Jen--Ack, why didn't I think of faking illness and going home? I tried to hide most of the octopus (that fear is REAL) under my mound of rice but when the hostess thought I'd finished it, she gave me more! I screamed a little into my napkin.
Sara & Hilary--All my siblings had normal dates in high school. Mom was a little worried I'd be the kid who stayed in the basement forever. I was never asked out in college, either, but I'm not complaining. More time to read and play chess!
yeti9000--Haha! I think I have a mental blockage about that! And, ahem, we were proofreaders who only transcribed on occasion because we wanted to be helpful. Well, YOU did. We probably shouldn't have been so happy to be laid off!
Oops, I skipped Shell. Yes, bring your old perm photos to the hot tub party! And your beautiful homemade dresses, too!
ReplyDeletei adore you PCN xoxo
ReplyDeleteCharming, as ever, PCN! So...who was the PI?
ReplyDelete(it's Paulette--I forgot this login has my Maasai name!)
Sandwiches. Jacuzzies. Fantastic.
ReplyDelete