The New Yorker Finally Called...There's A Restraining Order On You!

Pamela August Russell, author of B is for Bad Poetry
interviews Pamela August Russell, author of B is for Bad Poetry

I was lucky enough to get an interview with myself while I was nude sunbathing by the pool at a very swanky hotel off Sunset Blvd. Other than the hotel guests, security guards and Department of Mental Health staring at me until I finished the interview, I’d say it went pretty well…

Me: What inspired you to write a book of bad poetry?

Me too: I don’t know if ‘inspired’ is the right word. Let’s just say my friends Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan were very helpful.

Me: Do you have a specific writing style?

Me too: Yes, I like to replace all of my vowels with smiley faces and hearts.

Me: How did you come up with the title?

Me too: I read my own writing.

Me: What books have most influenced your life most?

Me too: ‘Plagiarism, A Handbook For Writers’, ‘A Beginners Guide To Mediocrity’ and Maynard Frumps “The Immoral And Unethical Uses Of Language’ were all very helpful.

Me: If you had to choose, which writer(s) would you consider a mentor?

Me too: Dr. Seuss and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Me: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Me too: There’s a young writer named Dorothy Parker who’s apparently very good. I haven’t read her yet.

Me: What are your current projects?

Me too: I just put a new flush handle on my toilet.

Me: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?

Me too: The part with my name on the cover.

Me: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Me too: Who said I was interested?

Me: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Me too: I’m writing a poem about how pancakes can ruin a relationship.

Me: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Me too: I used to think writing was very difficult. I see now that it’s all in the wrist.

Me: Do you have to travel much concerning your book?

Me too: To and from court hearings.

Me: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Me too: I’m sorry about that last poem but I couldn’t find a word that rhymes with ‘badunkadunk’.

Me: How long did it take you to write it?

Me too: Twelve minutes with a lunch break.

Me: Who is your favorite dead author?

Me too: Dan Brown.

Me: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Me too: If someone offers you a free pole-dancing class, take it. You never know where it will lead.

My new book B is for Bad Poetry out now from Sterling Publishing. The Los Angeles Times says “It may not be Walt Whitman, but Miss Russell’s verses are a whole lot funnier.” I’ll take that as compliment knowing how funny Mr. Whitman was. Especially after a few glasses of Sangria.

Originally Posted on: http://wewhoareabouttodie.com/2010/07/13/pamela-russell-interviews-pamela-russell/

It's not easy putting words together that make sense. Have you thought about joining the circus?