Scott: Welcome to the chat room, Chitra

Joanna: Hi Chitra!

Chitra Divakaruni: Hello everyone, I am pleased to be here with you

Vev: Hello Chitra! I loved Mistress of Spices and Sister of my heart!!!

Vev: When can we expect your next book?

Chitra Divakaruni: Thank You

Chitra Divakaruni: I am working on a collection of stories, it is titled The Unknown Errors of our Lives. It will come out in January 2001.

Vev: I have to put a reminder on Amazon to remember to get it!

Vev: excellent!

Vev: I also want to read Arranged Marriage

Tata: do young men in India experience the same ceremonies of life as the young women.

Chitra Divakaruni: Tata – when we talked about young men and young women, we have to remember that there are many different kinds of lifestyles that they are leading in India from the very traditional to the very modern. Overall I’d say that the rituals and ceremonies undergone by young men in traditional lifestyles are different from those that women undergo. In modern families, though, there are very many similarities. In Sister of My Heart I am portraying a very traditional family. In Bengal, so the rituals are quite unique.

Vev: Chitra, were did you get the inspiration for Sister of my Heart?

Chitra Divakaruni: That’s a tough question, I think partly from growing up in Calcutta in a rather traditional family partly it was from reading about the mis-uses of amniocentisis to select and abort female fetuses. The two characters, Sudha and Anju, came from my imagination.

Tata: Is it true that the misuses os amniocentisis will give India a severe shortage of females in 20-30 years?

Chitra Divakaruni: It is hard to say. The womens movement has been fighting against this and has had a law passed to abolish the abortion of female fetuses, however some abortions do occur in secrecy. One has to remember that this occurs in only a small percentages of pregnancies, however I feel that even one such abortion is too many and that is why it was important for me to write about it.

Joanna: Can you talk a little bit about the women’s movement in India?

Chitra Divakaruni: The women’s movement in India has gained a lot of strength in the last twenty years. Unlike the western feminist movement, there are two distinct branches: Urban and Rural – the urban branch consists mostly of educated middle class or upper middle class women, and the rural movement is a grass roots movement, often involving women who might not have had any formal education at all, who are forming co-ops.

Vev: Chitra, i really like a foreign film I saw afew months back called Fire-I believe it is part of a trilogy are there any plans to bring Sister of my heart to the screen?

Joanna: Are you affiliated with either branch?

Chitra Divakaruni: Just a moment. My previous novel, Mistress of Spices is being made into a movie and I am pretty excited about that. We don’t yet know about Sister of my Heart.

Vev: for the big or small screen?

Chitra Divakaruni: Big Screen

Chitra Divakaruni: I am involved with a couple of womens groups in the US, since I live here full time.

Scott: The novel has an epigraph from Chinua Achebe "It is only the story . . . that saves our progeny from stumbling into the spikes of the cactus fence." Does this point to the purpose of novel, and/or your view of writing in general?

Joanna: The Mistress of Spices seems like a difficult film to make into a movie, don’t you think? But with the right director/screenwriter, it could be great!

Chitra Divakaruni: Scott–this points particularly to Sister of My Heart, which is a novel in which storytelling takes on a great signifigance. The two women are brought up on traditional tales and myths by their aunt. This affects their visions of the world and their place in it. Later, when they through times of trouble they will re-tell these stories to each other and gain strength from them.

Scott: were you exposed to the same kind of stories in your youth?

Chitra Divakaruni: I was very fortunate to have a grandfather who told me a lot of the traditional folk tales and some of those tales are the same ones I have put into Sister of my Heart.

Scott: one of the most fascinating things about SoMH was the mix between folk tales and other traditions — Virginia Woolf was quite important. Did her work play any framing role for you as wrote the novel?

Chitra Divakaruni: Because I have studied both eastern and western literature, I also like to bring the two together in my writing. I feel it is a way to enrich both traditions. I have been influenced by many of the feminist ideas of Virginia W. as I was growing up, somewhat in the same way that Anju was influenced by them. The central idea that women need to have a room of their own is an important concept in Sister of My Heart, particularly as such an idea is foreign to traditional Indian society

Tata: Who are popular female writers in India

Chameli: TypeChitra, where are you located. I read one of your books about arranged marriages. I was wondering if you could come to my Human Behavior class (graduate school) to present something.

Chitra Divakaruni: There are writers in many different languages. Some of the ones from my languages, Bengali, are Mahasweta Devi and Bani Basu and Taslima Nasrin, among women writing in English. Either here or in India are Anita Desai, Bharati Mukherjee and Arundhati Roy.

Scott: Do your books sell back in India? It seems to me your books present a compelling voice for reform.

Chitra Divakaruni: Scott – the books have been published in India and widely reviewed. I would like them ultimately translated into the Indian languages. I have had a few pieces translated, but I am always looking for more.

Scott: You have a great sense of detail, in particular when it comes to cooking and food. What’s your background in, well, cooking and eating?

Joanna: Chitra, many of our members posted questions for you on the forum.

LongNLean: Chitra what do you have to say about so-called western perceptions of the traditions of India?

Chitra Divakaruni: I just love food Scott, and I am interested in herbs and spices for many years. That is what led me party to write The Mistress of Spices.

Chitra Divakaruni: Any other questions?

Scott: When you teach writing, What advice do you give to young writers?

Chitra Divakaruni: I tell my students to read wisely, to take a lot of time with their writing, to revise carefully and to take risks.

Scott: When did you decide to become a writer?

Joanna: Okay Chitra — Maritav asks if you are planning a sequel — she feels SISTER ended "abruptly" and wonders if this was youur intent.
Chitra Divakaruni: I started writing about 13 years ago, that was many years after I came to this country. Unlike some writers who know right from their childhood that they want to write, I discovered it much later, after I had finished my education and started working.

Chitra Divakaruni: I wanted to end Sister on an open-ended because as a reader, that is what I like. Stories that a reader keeps on thinking about the characters after the book ends. However I do think I will continue the story of the women, just because those characters have taken hold of me and I can’t seem to forget them.

Chitra Divakaruni: The background out of Calcutta comes out of my experience–all of the concerns with the challenges that women face both in India and in America are of course, very close to me. Other than that, the rest of the story is imagined.

Joanna: JasmineDoe asks what you see as the biggest challeneg for American women today and how that challenge differs for the crosscultural woman.

Chitra Divakaruni: I think a real challenge for both main stream American women and bi-cultural American women is balancing the roles, the many roles, that we have taken on–Roles in the home and outside the home–Roles as professionals and as mothers.

Scott: Do you make it back to india often? there must be some strange moments of disjunction between Calcutta and Houston.

Chitra Divakaruni: I do go back to India regularly, my mother lives there. It is a strange experience to go back, I love India, but I am not at home in it the way I was before I left. I see things with an outsiders eye, and of course that is my experience in Houston as well.

Chameli: Scott, in fact both has advantages and disadvantages.

Chitra Divakaruni: Are there one or two last questions?

Chameli: In fact, outsiders become outsiders everywhere, no matter how much you acculturate.

Scott: Thanks very much for coming tonight Chitra.

Chitra Divakaruni: It has been a pleasure chatting with everyone and I wish all of you much good reading. For me, reading has always been a way to enter life and experiences that otherwise I would never have known about. I hope my books will do that for you, no matter what background you come from.

Chitra Divakaruni: Good night to all of you.

Scott Hi Chuck, welcome to the chat room.

Chuck Palahniuk Hello from Portland, Oregon

Scott How is the weather out there tonight?

Helen Chuck, I was given your book for Christmas, last year. It was terrific.

Chuck Palahniuk Pouring rain, excellent writing weather.

Scott So are you gearing up for your trip to France?

Chuck Palahniuk France is cancelled–I’m up to my waist in writing a new book.

Helen I waited for the movie to come out, and was disappointed by the ending of the film. What were the producer’s notes or studio notes that led to the new ending?

tonyb Chuck, what type of fighting background did you have before you wrote the book?

Chuck Palahniuk My dad was a boxer in the Navy, but the only fighting I’ve ever done was in brawls.

Scott Did you get in a lot of them?

Chuck Palahniuk LOL. A dozen, maybe.

Helen Where did you grow up?

Baitsell Hey, you know your TLA’s, are you on the net a lot?

Chuck Palahniuk Burbank, Washington

Scott Fight Club was your first novel, you’ve written two in the interim between its publication and release as a major motion picture. Has it been strange for you, to sort of have to move back in time, and talk about your first novel?

tonyb Do you like the movie adaptation?

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, very much. Sometimes I can hardly remember what Fight Club was about.

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, I loved the movie adaptation. I think it’s terrific.

Scott Did you get to play any role in that? Did you want to?

Chuck Palahniuk David Fincher asked me if I wanted to, but I hated the idea–I didn’t want to be in the movie.

environment.guide I like Brad Pitt. Were you on the set as the movie was being shot?

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, I was. I like Brad Pitt, too. Brad’s very likeable.

Helen Did you work closely with David Fincher during any rewrites of the screenplay?

Chuck Palahniuk No, I didn’t. I met with the screenwriter before the first draft. But that was my only contribution.

Helen What was your primary concern as you translated the book to a screenplay during the first draft?

Chuck Palahniuk As the screenwriter translated the book to a screenplay, my primary concern was writing my next book. I know nothing about screenwriting.

Baitsell Have you had any offers to option Invisible Monsters?

Helen Does Marla represent a particular theme in your novel?

Chuck Palahniuk We’re still negotiating on that. But the option is still open.

Baitsell It would make a kick ass movie.

MarkHazen What was your initial reaction to your first view of the finished film?

Chuck Palahniuk Not denying if you’re screwed up, not trying to hide your faults.

Helen Oh, that’s good.

Chuck Palahniuk Shock.

tonyb So is Fight Club based more on a true story or more on a made up story?

MarkHazen Shock in a good sense, or shock as in ‘what the hell did they do with my plot?’

Chuck Palahniuk Instantly wanted to see it again, a second or third time.

MarkHazen ::grin:: I can relate to that kind of shock. =)

Helen I thought Marla was representing the chaos in the real world–the reason he shouldn’t have to create anarchy.

Chuck Palahniuk I was overwhelmed with how much was there.

Baitsell The movie’s had that kind of affect on a lot of people. . . .

Helen How did you start writing Fight Club?

Chuck Palahniuk Marla also represented the next step in his becoming an adult by committing to a relationship.

Chuck Palahniuk I started writing with a pen and a piece of paper at work, during a really boring day.

Baitsell Does that mean you see Tyler as the adult?

Helen But he committed to Marla first through Tyler

Helen And Tyler seems to be more of the Rocky Horror Show type.

Helen I mean, he seems to be the id.

Chuck Palahniuk No, but Tyler is the next step in Jack becoming an adult, Tyler is sort of the missing link.

Helen cool–

Baitsell Will the Adult emerge in a sequel? (hint hint)

Helen Did you know the plot first, or did you know the character first?

tonyb so, is the book based more on a true story or a made up story?

Chuck Palahniuk Sequel? No, never. I don’t write sequels, but Fox has that right.

Baitsell Ewwww… you’re going to let someone else destroy your characters?

Chuck Palahniuk 80% true, 20% made up.

Chuck Palahniuk I sold that right. It’s out of my hands. LOL.

Helen Do you still have that first piece that started Fight Club? You can sell that, too!

Helen EBAY

Chuck Palahniuk Let’s hope the original makes enough money that they want to do a sequel.

Baitsell I was noticing that all of your books have been told in flashback. Are you working on a fourth (and is it in the same style?)

environment.guide hi Chuck, I’m down the street from you (in Oregon). It’s raining here, how about in Portland?

Chuck Palahniuk I still have it, it was published in an anthology in 1995 before Fight Club was a book. The anthology was called, The Pursuit of Happiness.

Helen Chuck, I graduated with an MFA in Film Producing from USC, so this is really a question for a new producer. Did the producer contact you after reading the book or did you know each other? At which stage did you get contacted by Hollywood execs?

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, I am working. No, it will be significantly different than the last three.

Helen I meant, for a new producer’s benefit.

MarkHazen How sick of the question “where do you get your ideas from” are you by now? =)

Chuck Palahniuk Fox optioned the book and signed it to an independent producer and he called me via my agent.

MarkHazen Just wondering, as your writing definitely broke the mold.

Scott Do you use your writing to process things you’re going through, as a kind of catharsis?

Chuck Palahniuk I use writing to process things I’m going through, but not always.

Helen So, Fox found it first. I always assumed the producer brought it to Fox.

tonyb What advice do you have for someone who wants to write a book and has never done one?

Chuck Palahniuk Write one scene at a time.

Chuck Palahniuk And: try to suprise yourself.

Scott So what’ s your writing work routine like–do you have a set schedule?

Helen AAAGH. I will never be able to compete with the studio’s deep pockets.

Helen Sorry–non sequitur.

Chuck Palahniuk Not set schedules, but I never start writing until I have a huge amount of research and notes done and I know something about where the book will begin.

Baitsell Where did you get your inspiration for Brandy Alexander?

Chuck Palahniuk At a female bodybuilding contest where I was working as a security guard.

Helen Did you already know about how to make soap, bombs, and what the automobile industry does about recalls, or was that research for the book?

Helen LOL

Helen Love that

Baitsell She was divine…

Helen Baitsell, you’re so cool!

tonyb Do you ever use a tape recorder to talk out portions of a book?

Helen Great question!

Chuck Palahniuk Everything is research. My freind Alice taought me how to make soap. My brother Matt taught me about the bombs. I learned about the recalls by watching 60 Minutes.

Scott Did you completely understand the metaphors you were using in Fight Club as you were writing it, or was a lot of that subconscious?

Chuck Palahniuk No, I hate to transcribe tape, I hate the sound of my own voice.

Chuck Palahniuk LOL. No I don’t completely understand anything in the world.

Helen

Helen haha, I’m still amused!

Scott So how did Matt learn about the bombs?

Helen haha

Baitsell Are you gay? And if not did you “research” the “community?”

tonyb Do you know if using a tape recorder to talk out a book is a commonly used practice by other authors?

Chuck Palahniuk Matt is an engineer for the Chevron Corp.–besides all that stuff is on the Internet.

Helen tonyb, if it works for you, you should do it. A lot of screenwriters do it, too.

Chuck Palahniuk None of the authors I know do it that way.

Chuck Palahniuk I do talk out my books with my housemates while I’m plotting them.

Scott So I was booted off for a lil bit so I’m not sure if this was asked yet–what other writers do you like/were influenced by?

Helen wasn’t asked yet, Scott

Chuck Palahniuk Amy Hempel and her collections of short stories, Brett Ellis’ collection The Informers, and the third book would be Denis Johnson his collection called Jesus’s Son.

environment.guide My apologies if this is too personal, you said housemates, what’s a famous writer like yourself doing living with a bunch of other people?

Chuck Palahniuk LOL. They are cheap and I am lonely.

Helen Have you ever read part of your work at Cody’s Bookstore in Berkeley? I used to be a student there, and listening to authors speak their work and answer questions was so delightful.

Helen Would you do that in LA somewhere?

Helen haha

Chuck Palahniuk No, but I’ve always wanted to read at Cody’s. I did stop in there once and sign all of their stock. It’s a really cool store.

Scott Have you had any weird encounters since the movie came out–people making assumptions about you from seeing the film?

Helen Do a reading in LA!!!!

Helen That would be so much fun!

Baitsell The new thing you’re working on, is it still first person narrative?

Chuck Palahniuk No, pleasantly. No weird encounters yet. But I’m pretty unrecognizable.

Chuck Palahniuk Some of it is first person, but not necessarily all of it. It is the most comfortable voice for me. I feel the least like I’m playing God if I’m writing in first person. I hate writers who pretend to be God by writing in third person.

Helen Have you ever translated your friends into characters?

Baitsell Is that a more comfortable voice for you? It seems like it would be hard to get into some of your characters heads with that voice.

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, pretty much all of my characters are friends.

Helen Do they have a difficult time reading themselves? I was translated into a character for a play once, and I was surprisingly sensitive about it–it really made me nervous.

environment.guide that’s interesting, Helen, any play we might know?

Helen AAAGH, maybe, if you watch John Fisher plays.

Baitsell Have you thought of pulling a McInerney on all of us and force us to read something in second person. I think you could pull it off

Chuck Palahniuk No, my friends love seeing themselves and the things that they say in print. They especially loved being quoted by movie stars in the movie.

Scott So was one of your buddies Brad Pitt?

Helen Hmm.

Helen Say hi to your friend who is Marla, because she’s caustic and sharp and really cool!

Chuck Palahniuk I’d like to try, but second person feels a little hokey–if it goes too long.

Baitsell Are you still writing short stories?

Helen What about doing a site on the Internet?

Chuck Palahniuk Sorry, I am not buddies with Brad, but he was great to spend time with.

Chuck Palahniuk LOL! My friend Marla IS very cool. And she’s a fifth grade teacher now and she has head lice.

Helen hahahahahaha!

Scott So what’s it like reading reviews of the movie–a different feeling from reading reviews of your books?

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, right now I’m writing a lot of short stories.

Baitsell LOL that’s friggin awesome!

Helen Tell Marla not to spread it back and forth to the 5th graders. That would suck to be her on Parent Teacher night.

Baitsell Any in the pipe? I’ll mess up my ramen budget for some magazines if you have anything coming out soon

Chuck Palahniuk I would say, it was frustrating because I really wanted people to understand and appreciate David Fincher’s movie. I don’t give a rat’s ass what people think of me, but I do get bent out of shape when people criticize people I admire or care about.

Helen Agree.

Scott Yeah some of the reviews seemed to simplify the film.

Baitsell Yeh, The Nation was especially caustic (bastards)

Chuck Palahniuk I would tend to agree, some people never saw past the surface of things.

Helen When my friend and I walked out of the theater, I heard a lot of comments that didn’t really seem to fit what the movie and book were about.

Helen They didn’t understand.

Baitsell Yeh, I heard guys wanting to buy Fight Club action figures (and assorted merchandise).

Helen Oh, Baitsell, that was the perfect illustration of what I meant!

Scott What about those that characterize it as a “guy” movie? Do you think that’s valid?

Chuck Palahniuk oh God. The studio put together a fake catalog of merchandise and made fun of the whole merchandizing side of things.

Baitsell I’d love to get some Fight Club soap though…

Helen ha, so would I.

Chuck Palahniuk I would refer you to www.tylerdurden.com

Helen Is there merchandise for sale there?

Scott The soap thing I’ve got to admit was the most disturbing element of the film.

Chuck Palahniuk Sorry to distrub you.

Scott in a good way.

Helen My favorite part of the book was the lye

Scott That’s one of the jobs of a writer, aint it?

Helen Not the lie, the lye kiss.

Baitsell Holy shit! You just took care of all of my XMas shopping for me.

Chuck Palahniuk The job of a good writer, a bad writer just holds your hand.

Helen Hey, Chuck–I run a charity. Do you do item donations for charity auctions? Sorry to solicit you directly–normally, we send letters to PR agents, but you’re here.

Scott Helen, can’t take you anywhere.

Scott :>

Helen You can’t even dress me up!

environment.guide lol

Chuck Palahniuk I’ve given away pretty much everything except a few things I really care about. So I have nothing left to give away at this point. In fact, my little nephew has most of it.

Helen haha

Helen Okay, thanks for not scolding me

Scott So the sort of Buddhist shedding of the material life in Fight Club comes straight from the heart?

Chuck Palahniuk LOL, it does?

Chuck Palahniuk I was trying to make fun of faux buddhists.

Helen What kinds of things did you care enough about to keep? Paper, blanket, socks, pen?

Helen As we can all tell, I’m freezing and my feet have turned to ice.

Baitsell . . . motorcycles, drugs, vinyl . . .

Helen haha

Chuck Palahniuk Things I use on a daily basis.

Helen Fight Club Soap?

Scott So would you say you were satarizing the sort of grunge Kurt Cobain nihilism attitude?

Chuck Palahniuk Like my Fight Club clock.

Helen LOL

Scott Speaking of time, I think we’ve got about five minutes here. Any last questions for Chuck?

Baitsell Is it an alarm clock

environment.guide Chuck, you seem like an ordinary guy, how did you stop fame from going to your head?

Helen This was so much fun! Thanks, Chuck. Please put up a website so we can read stuff by you on a regular basis!

Chuck Palahniuk No, I’m not satarizing that, but trying to take it a step further to say that if nothing matters, then why does it matter if we care about something? And doesn’t that give us the freedom to commit ourselves to anything?

Scott does it?

Chuck Palahniuk I live in Portland, Oregon. I don’t have tv.

Helen That’s exactly what you got across in the book!

Helen But even if you have that freedom, if nothing matters, why commit?

Chuck Palahniuk Yes, nihilism lets us determine what matters.

Helen Whoops, I’m lost.

Baitsell If it’s all shit, whatever doesn’t float matters.

Helen If we’re nihilistic, doesn’t NO THING matter?

Scott Nothing matters except what’s left after the head lice have had their way with you.

Helen LOL–5th grade matters

Helen Question–doesn’t comfort play into this?

Chuck Palahniuk Comfort sucks.

Helen I mean, all these things (and head lice) are really about being comfortable or uncomfortable.

Baitsell Spoken like a man with house mates!

Helen Or like a man who writes about people beating themselves up to feel alive?

Chuck Palahniuk I’m currently doing everyone’s laundry today.

Baitsell LOL, good to see this stuff hasn’t gone to your head.

environment.guide Do they pay you to do their laundry?

Helen Pour detergent on it Put it outside in the rain

Helen Bring it in to dry

Scott Thanks a lot for coming Chuck, and if you’re ever in Chicago, I’d love for you to buy me a beer.

Scott assuming you’d be comfortable with that.

Baitsell Hey, if you’re buying, come to Athens, GA too!

Helen And let me know if you read at Cody’s–I’ll fly up

Helen How you would remember to let me know (and how) is beyond me.

Chuck Palahniuk Next time I’m on tour, I will buy beers for everybody!

environment.guide I’ll make the drive up I5

Chuck Palahniuk If I read at Cody’s it will be advertised, I’m sure.

Helen Environment.guide and I are going to carpool, to save our natural resources!

Helen All the way down here?

Helen I’d better get myself on the mailing list.

environment.guide thanks Helen

Chuck Palahniuk Goodnight from Portland, Oregon.

Helen Goodnight!

Scott I’m sure Elizabeth (who’s typing) is getting tired. I’m buying Chuck’s other two books, and you should too.

Baitsell Thanks for your time

Scott Goodnight.

This is a transcript of a chat that took place on the Authors site at About.com.

Kinky Friedman Hello

Scott Looks like Kinky Friedman has joined us. Welcome, Kinky.

Kinky Friedman Thanks Glad

ing yeah!

Scott So where are you at geographically right now?

Kinky Friedman It’s been a financial pleasure.

Kinky Friedman Atlanta Georgia, I think.

Kinky Friedman Last stop on the book tour.

Scott So do you do tours separately for your CDs?

Kinky Friedman When possible, yes, I have a schizo audience half read the books half are into the music

Kinky Friedman half dont give a damn.

Scott So do you consider yourself more of a writer, or a recording
artist? How do you balance the two?

Kinky Friedman I’ve been touring since Christ was a cowboy in other words–three weeks

Kinky Friedman Definitely more of a pointy headed intellectual novelist.

Kinky Friedman But I still sing in the shower and in europe.

Scott Do you ever write on the road?

ing kinky, whats the apartment no. in vandam st ?

Kinky Friedman impossible to write on the road, wish I could.

Ryan If anyone has a question for Kinky, feel free to ask it now. If-
more people join, I’ll start a list of people to avoid confusion.

Kinky Friedman It’s hard enough to find time to eat on the road.

Kinky Friedman The real number is 99.

Scott So how did you make the shift from recording artist to writer.
What inspired that move?

nudnick kinky, you can always find road kill.

Kinky Friedman You have to fail at one thing before you succeed at another.

Kinky Friedman nudnick–thanks for the tip, it would be cost effective too.

Scott So you’re a character in Spanking Watson, and in other books. Is
it weird having a fictional identity you named after yourself?

ing kinky, how long did it take to belt out this last novel?

Kinky Friedman Spanking Watson was fast, just sort of threw the plot out the
window and went from there.

Scott Do you ever take events from your life and work them into the fiction?

Kinky Friedman I am going to Europe to do 55 shows starting October 7 with Little Jewford, from the Texas Jewboys.

Kinky Friedman I expect to come back bigger than Robert Frost.

Scott At least more alive

Kinky Friedman – absolutely, of course my life is a work of fiction, but I have effectively erased the line between fiction and non fiction in my book.

ing dont suppose your including Australia in your tour?

Kinky Friedman Almost everything is true.

Scott So your real pals become characters in your work?

Kinky Friedman ing – sure would love to go, probably will get there in January.

Kinky Friedman I miss my goddaughter and my kookaburras.

Kinky Friedman–Yes–it keeps me company when I am writing alone on the ranch.

Ryan how do they feel about that… or do they know about it?

Kinky Friedman Most of them are enjoying the ride.

Kinky Friedman You would have to ask them.

Kinky Friedman No lawsuits yet.

Kinky Friedman kinkyfriedman.com is where you can find the itinerary for the upcoming European tour.

Scott I love the fact that you came out with a self-tribute album. Does your music help sell your books and vice versa?

Kinky Friedman The Wildman from Borneo Tour.

Kinky Friedman I would have to defer that question to a marketing genius like
Garth Brooks.

Kinky Friedman Thank God he hasn’t written a book yet.

Scott So what other novelists do you admire?

ing kinky, tell us what eat drink and be kinky is, i’ve just discovered this title and want to know is it a recipe book?

Kinky Friedman Most of them are dead: Robert Louis Stevenson, F Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Bukowski.

Jeannie What is the worst advice you were given when first
beginning to write?

Kinky Friedman I also like Robert B Parker.

Scott Noticed Camus made a couple appearances in SW.

Kinky Friedman Outline everything first was the worst advice, that is always a mistake.

Jeannie I agree; find that outlining is very constricting–limiting, that is.

Scott So you pretty much work without knowing where the stories headed? Without a net, sort of. . .

Jeannie reminds me of outlining in English class in high school; hated it.

Kinky Friedman – yes along with another great frenchman LePetomane.

Jeannie So, what is the BEST advice you’ve gotten?

Kinky Friedman Outlining results in formulaic New York times bestseller crap.

Jeannie lol

Kinky Friedman Write the book to a silent witness, like a cat or a dead person or a long lost lover.

Jeannie Kinky, as you may have assumed I am a writer. I prefer to bascically go to the computer and just start writing.

Scott What’s your favorite book that you’ve written?

Kinky Friedman Write the book LIKE A LETTER to the cat, lover or dead person.

yazzle anyone here written any good EPILGOUES lately?!?!?!

Kinky Friedman–always the next one.

Scott other than that one?

Jeannie So, you ingnore the ‘censor on your shoulder’?

Kinky Friedman The Mile High Club is the next one and it is the best one, and
it is finished. It actually has a plot–but dont hold that against it.

Kinky Friedman Jeannie–I have an angel on my shoulder.

Jeannie Good way to look at it, Kinky.

Scott So you know Bob Dylan–what’s he like in person?

Jeannie I do my best, when writing, NOT to think of what someone may think when they read what I’ve written

Kinky Friedman – he gave me a cuban cigar in Dallas last week, thought that was very nice.

yazzle Jeannie–are you published?

Scott Do you still play with him?

Kinky Friedman He’s a very funny, gentle, ruthless, thin kind of guy.

Jeannie locally; I’ve had some articles published, but none of my fiction has been–yet.

Ryan aussiebob, Welcome to the Chat Room, with special guest
author Kinky Friedman. … Feel free to ask Kinky a question. If the room
gets crowded, however, I’ll be starting a discussion queue.

Kinky Friedman Jeannie, that is exactly right, you have to write with a
disregard for the reader, that is the only honest way.

yazzle Kinky–do you write every day?

Jeannie I think too many sit down and write for the public.

Kinky Friedman No to playing with Bob Dylan, we are thinking about doing some traveling out west, Way Out West.

Jeannie Romance writers especially.

Scott How does the publishing industry compare with the music industry from your exp. as an artist?

Kinky Friedman yazzle–yes when I am not on the road. Of course it helps to be unemployed.

yazzle are you sort of strict in the discipline? like–ok–between 9am and 5pm I write . . .

Jeannie Don’t you think that telling a neophyte writer to write every day
without fail may take away some of the fun?

Kinky Friedman I think the music industry is a bit less honest if that is
possible.

yazzle Jeannie–that’s what I was wondering . . .

Kinky Friedman yazzle–NO, I just keep a page in the typewriter and work when
the mood hits me. Of course the only two people in America who still use the typewriter are Kinky Friedman and the Unibomber.

Jeannie I write because I love it; not because I have to. It’s not a job to me; it’s fun, and like Stephen King says: I’ll stop when the fun goes out
of it.

yazzle do you rewrite a lot lot lot???

Kinky Friedman No, just a bit–

Jeannie King uses an IBM Selectric.

Jeannie I LOVE revising.

Kinky Friedman I think the editor should earn his money.

Scott Have you had good relationships with your editors?

Kinky Friedman King–that figures, haven’t run into him lately.

Unknown Who’s your agent Kninky?

Unknown Kinky, sorry.

Jeannie was that a joke?

Kinky Friedman Great relationship with my editors. Chuck Adams, my old editor was Jim Landis, also Jane Cavelina. Esther Lobster Newburg is my agent, and I will defer any questions to her.

yazzle do you send your manuscript through to your editor as you write, or just when it is finished??

Scott So do have multi-book contracts, or do you pitch them one at a time?

Kinky Friedman But It doesnt pay to change agents, as Joseph Heller said, every change is for the worse.

Jeannie I read recently that someone else used your agent; think I read it in Writer’s Digest or Fiction Writer.

Kinky Friedman I have a three book deal with Simon & Schuster.. .two of which are written, one of which is still out there.

Jeannie I’ve got three sequels in mind to the novel I’m currently working on.

Kinky Friedman Two books are written but not published yet. The Mile High Club and Stepping on a Rainbow.

Scott I caught some touches of Heller in your work. You a big fan of Catch-22?

Jeannie how would that sound to a publisher?

Kinky Friedman I think it’s a great book– although it hasnt caused as many deaths as the bible, it has
caused a few people to think about the nature of life.

yazzle sorry to ask twince … but do you send your manuscript through to
your editor as you write, or just when it is finished??

Kinky Friedman yazzle–just when it is finished . . . when I think it is finished, he doesn’t always agree.

yazzle aha

yazzle and how long does it take you to write a book?

Jeannie Would a publisher be excited to know that I have three sequels in
mind, using the same basic characters, to the novel I’m currently working
on?

Scott You’re a real master of the great title–Need to say that the
title of The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover is classic in and of itself.

Unknown I noticed in Spanking Watson you cited Ginsberg & Camus, practically in the same paragraph . . .

Unknown Which one is your favorite of the two?

Kinky Friedman Jeannie, yes that is all to the good. But first you need a
complete manuscript.

ing kinky,in your new novel do you get it on with winnie?

Kinky Friedman yazzle–maybe two or three months if life doesn’t get in the
way.

Jeannie It’s nearly finished; am doing the second draft of the first book. What is my next step?

yazzle wow! that is FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yazzle I just wrote one and it took nearly two years.

Unknown The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover. Kudos on the title. Actually, can
I use that?

Jeannie yazzle, same here.

Kinky Friedman Ginsberg is the devil I know.

yazzle THREE MONTHS!!!! I bow down

Kinky Friedman yazzle, I pretend that I am Oscar Wilde behind bars with my hair on fire.

yazzle lol

Jeannie took me six months of research and then took another 3 months to
write the first draft.

Kinky Friedman Unknown, Be my Guest!

Scott What would you say to beginning novelists about promoting their
work?

yazzle I trashed everything I wrote in the first 9 months.

Unknown Thanks man.

Kinky Friedman yazzle, Not always that fast.

yazzle Phew

Dirk Uh, hold on . . .

Kinky Friedman Okay Unknown.

Ryan since we’re getting a little crowded in here, I’m going to start a
queue for questions. If you have a question for Kinky, please type a “?” or a “!” and I’ll add you to the list.

Kinky Friedman Georges Simenon could write a novel in two weeks.

Jeannie Kinky, thanx for talking with me; good luck on your next book (s).

yazzle mon dieu.

Kinky Friedman Jeannie–Good Luck on your book.

yazzle Good luck, Jeannie!

Kinky Friedman yazzle–I don’t speak Italian.

Jeannie Thank you!

Unknown ? Kinky, did you meet Tom Waits?

Jeannie bye

yazzle ?

Kinky Friedman Yes, Tom and I were old friends in LA, twenty years ago.

Kinky Friedman Now we are penpals.

Dirk How’s he doing?

Dirk Waits writes well.

yazzle Can you tell us about marekting? There are so many great books out every month–how can you get ‘noticed’?

Kinky Friedman No one knows, he is the Howard Hughes of modern music.

Kinky Friedman Waits is a genius.

Unknown Why do you think Ginsberg is the devil?

Kinky Friedman yazzle–That is a tough one. The best way is to have an affair
with Sharon Stone.

Kinky Friedman If you can’t do that, go on Oprah.

yazzle great idea! shame she’s married and I’m straight!

Unknown I did that actually.

Scott How is Sharon?

Unknown She’s fine.

Kinky Friedman Nothing has changed, the best writers are still dying in the
gutter.

yazzle noooo!

Dirk Yeah.

Kinky Friedman I say Devil in a good way.

Scott From drink or lack of sales?

yazzle Do you think every new sends their book to Oprah?

Unknown Living large in the gutter. Unknown.

Kinky Friedman Ginsberg was an important Jewish troublemaker, not unlike Jesus himself. And he was not afraid to mingle his life with his work.

yazzle what do you mean– “mingle his life with his work…”?

Scott So do people ever make assumptions about you personally from reading about your character in your work?

Kinky Friedman All great writers have been alcohololic.

Scott Has that ever put you in an uncomfortable situation?

yazzle Why do you think drink and drugs are so writing-inducing?!!!??!!??!?

Kinky Friedman most of them didnt sell very well in their lifetime. None of
them sold as well as Dean Koontz.

yazzle Would you ever admit that in public???

Scott Noted you’re a Jameson’s man.

Unknown Your fictional charcter named “Kinky.”

Kinky Friedman They would be quite correct in making those assumptions.

Unknown I like Jamesons.

Kinky Friedman and it never puts me in an uncomfortable position. Nothing bothers the Kinkster.

Dirk Kentucky bourbon.

Dirk And cigars.

Kinky Friedman Yes, but I am not heavily Guinness. The drink that kept the Irish from taking over the world.

Kinky Friedman WHOOPS.

Kinky Friedman I am NOW heavily into Guiness.

yazzle watch your waistline, kink.

Scott You’ll have to drink with The Unknown sometime.

Unknown That passage about the city, the Ginsberg part, was cool. In
Spanking Watson.

Unknown Drink with me.

aussiebob Kinky, any plans to come back to Australia soon, for music or
literary purposes?

Dirk Were you ever a starving artist?

Scott I think we have time for five more questions, or so, then we’ll let Kinky get back to the business of writing.

Kinky Friedman Thanks Unknown, you are a discerning American.

Kinky Friedman Aussie, will be down there in January, for what purpose I am
not sure.

yazzle Come on down!

Scott So what’s the most fun you’ve ever had as a writer, Kinky?

aussiebob we’ll all watch out for y’all.

Kinky Friedman TO paraphrase Truman Capote, having written.

yazzle Kinky–do you ever HATE what you have written? And then love it
again later?

Kinky Friedman Starving artist, probably, cannot remember the first half of
my life.

Unknown Thanks. And thanks for the great title. Who’s the most dangerous
artist you’ve ever drunk with?

Kinky Friedman aussie–Look forward to seeing you little buggers down there.

yazzle It’s sunny here in Sydney today.

Dirk Me neither.

ing no its not sunny here yazzle

yazzle it’s sunny in Bondi!

Kinky Friedman Tom Waits or Abbey Hoffman.

Unknown Oh man. Abbie.

Kinky Friedman sorry . . the spelling.

Unknown No prob.

Unknown He was a yippie freak.

Unknown Like me.

Kinky Friedman Yep.

Scott One last ? here if you had to choose: Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

Unknown Beatles. Oh you’re asking Kinky. Sorry.

yazzle Van Morrison, actually.

Kinky Friedman Well the Beatles say “I believe in Yesterday.” The Rolling Stones say, Yesterday don’t matter when it’s gone. I say, “Find what you like and let it kill you.”

Unknown Ruby Tuesday.

yazzle Except when you get your gorgeous 20-something mistress preggers.

Unknown Yeha. Unknown.

Unknown oops.

Kinky Friedman That’s a good one.

Scott Amen. Thanks for joining us tonight Kinky.

yazzle thanks Kinky

ing yeah, ta kinky.

Unknown Thanx Kinky.

Unknown HTTP://WWW.SOA.UC.EDU/USER/UNKNOWN/dirk.htm

Kinky Friedman Remember, the Lord helps those who help the Kinkster. If you are driving folks, don’t forget your car.

aussiebob thanks cobber.

Kinky Friedman Thanks very much, it’s been a financial pleasure.

Unknown $!

yazzle bye then

Scott Have a good night. May you be paid well in all future endeavors.

Kinky Friedman Bye.

This is a transcript of a chat that took place on the Authors site at About.com in September 1999.