Bookburger

clea hantman...between the buns

The world can pretty much be divided into two camps: those of us who love Valentine's Day, and those of us who hate it. Of course, what camp you fall into pretty much depends on whether you're in love or WAAY out of it. The good news: we all switch camps from year to year, and if your V-day happens to be lame this year, don't sweat it--next year is sure to be better! In the meantime, for anybody who's nursing a broken heart this V-day, here's a treat that's better than any old box of chocolates: 30 Days to Getting Over That Dork You Used to Call Your Boyfriend by Clea Hantman. This isn't a novel, burgerfolk--it's a real guide to putting a breakup behind you. We asked Clea to take our quiz. Here's what she said:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

I feel like such a pop-culture-obsessed, limelight-focused, glossy magazine-reading, child of the 70s because mostly I read books that are – ugh – popular. Is that lame?

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?

Really, the classics. Every single Roald Dahl book. I just loved James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox. I loved all the Laura Ingalls Wilder  books (I dreamed of living on a prairie.) Charlotte’s Web. The Littles. Later on though, when I was no longer a kid or teen myself (in years that is) I picked up Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat and it utterly rocked my world. I thought it was the most beautiful and exhilarating thing I’d read in years and it felt like it had oozed out of my own mind. After I read that, I wrote my first teen book.

Describe your ideal place to write.

Before anyone wakes up, coffee in hand, at my dining room table. Or a coffee shop, I love just sitting in someone else’s space, watching people go by and letting something someone does or something I overhear infuse my thoughts for the day.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.

Theme Song: Liz Phair, 6’1”

Best of Episode: Falling for my husband and having my daughter.

Blooper Reel: I have this old Jeepster and it’s kind of perfect for me because it’s almost this miniature car but one day I was meeting my galfriends for dinner  and I had on these big clunky boots and I pulled into this old shut down bank parking lot and my boot got wedged between the brake and accelerator  and the car thrust forward — could have been truly AWFUL had someone, anyone been near by — but instead the only thing in front of me was a 4 foot high, 50 foot long brick wall. I hit it, it rumbled and shook and then came down, the whole 50 feet of it, like some cartoon explosion, all at once, with perfectly formed clouds of dust rising in the air. It was actually rather hilarious and truly good luck that all I demolished was a wall.  The bank never opened and they flattened the whole lot, so I guess in the end I did the property owners a small favor— one less thing to tear down.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!

I’m sure there is but I’ve blocked it out. Oh, I worked at Mrs. Fields Cookies in my youth. The outfit escapes me, thankfully.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should it have?

Bacon. Ham. Cracklins. Lardons. It essentially would be a pig burger. I dream of becoming a vegetarian, but it will never happen. I love the pork products far too much.

carolyn mackler...between the buns

OK, we'll admit it. We burger-flippers are boy-crazy. We are guyaholics and we don't want to go to rehab (we say, no, no, no....) It's not that we're endorsing a boy-addicted lifestyle. It's just that we're having too much fun to quit.  So we knew we'd adore Carolyn Mackler's newest novel, Guyaholic.  This follow-up to her deliciously-titled Vegan Virgin Valentine centers on the same main character, the obsessive-yet-loveable V. The story makes some interesting connections between V's guy-chasing ways and her mother's. It's a quick read and it in our opinion it's entirely succulent (no that doesn't mean it sucks--it's our new, vintage-2008 way to say "it's real good"--like it?)

So anyhow, we asked Carolyn to take our fun and funky pop quiz. Here 'tis:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

I've been racking my brain and I actually think most people have heard of all my favorite writers (Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Nick Hornby, David Levithan, Rachel Cohn, Sarah Dessen).  Which is a great thing because it means they're getting the popular success they deserve.

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?

Anything by Judy Blume.  Autumn Street by Lois Lowry.  Anything by M.E. Kerr.  The Great Brain books.

Describe your ideal place to write.

At my desk in the corner of our bedroom (with a huge cup of coffee at my side).

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.

Theme song: "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Paul Simon.  (I'm a girl, but it still fits)
Best of: Getting married, having my son
Blooper reel: Junior High.  Can that please go in the trash bin?

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!

No uniform jobs.  However my current work-at-home writer uniform isn't exactly cool.  Sweats, T-shirt, and these UGLY blue slippers.  Boy, do I need new slippers.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should it have?

Veggie burger (I'm a vegetarian), swiss cheese, avocado, onion, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, ranch dressing.  Oh my god, YUM.

giveaway: The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists

We make to-do lists, shopping lists, wish lists...but somehow our lists just don't ROCK. The ones in this new book do....The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists is the handiwork of Handsome Dick Manitoba of the  Dictators and Amy Wallace of the original Book of Lists. They're billing this book as "Essential bathroom reading!!!! " but we like it at the breakfast table, actually. We loved learning how about The Pogues got their name and what Mario Batali's favorite pizzas in the world are. (What does that have to do with punk rock? According to this tome, pizza is the MOST punk rock food of all.)

Anyhow, we have a brand-new copy of The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists to give away....so lace up your Doc Martens and add a comment to this post to be automatically entered to win! [contest ended 1.2.2008] (Just kidding about the Doc Martens--you can be wearing fluffy bunny slippers and we'll still give you your prize if you win!)

Also, we figured we'd give our bookburger pop quiz to the punk authorities who penned this book. Both Amy Wallace and Handsome Dick answered....


Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

Robert Aickman, Algernon Blackwood -- Edith Wharton --- you may know her -- Yasunari Kawabata who remains the only Japanese Nobel Prize for literature winner, T.E.D. Klein -- 4 stars. - Amy

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?

First horror -- Roald Dahl's grown-up then kid books; Peanuts; Dr. Seuss; a British fruitcake workaholic named Enid Blyton, who never hit over here. A Wrinkle in Time.  Ray Bradbury. "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster; and (HOW COULD I FORGET!): COMICS!  ALL KINDS, especially Marvel, early Dr. Strange, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, etc.  I was never without a comic in my hand and was allowed to read them at the dinner table.  That's how I acquired a very large vocabulary really young. Any dirty books I could steal from my parents' shelves. - Amy

Describe your ideal place to write.

In bed by hand. - Amy

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.

-The Handsome Dick Manitoba Program
"The Party Starts Now"
EPISODE..."HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE"
500 Rock and roll fans in Gijon, Spain,DEC. 1, 2006 singing , "Happy Birthday",in English, to my son Jake Koufax Manitoba on his birthday, while I was about to start singing "The American Ruse", with DKT/MC5.

BLOOPER EPISODE:  "One Too Many Quaaludes"...The band was at rehearsal already on Manhattan's west side,and didn't know where I was, and neither did I, 'cause I took one too many Quaaludes, and fell asleep on someone's floor...somewhere in Westchester with my pal Claire, from The Bronx. - HDM

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!

From the age of 19 to 29, I worked as a professional psychic reader.  Even got written up in Cosmopolitan Magazine.   I sometimes resorted to geeky crystal rings and a crystal ball, hippie clothes and mu-mu's, and Birkenstocks (even Earth Shoes!! Shame on me.)  I had a homemade smocked dress that was really the pits. - Amy

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should
it have?

-THE PERFECT MANIBURGER...No fixins...Whether char-broiled or pan grilled...The right kind of meat(a decent amount of fat)...The right bun..Slightly toasted on the pan,w/seeds...A soft "classic" hamburger bun ONLY...Burger btwn. 4-7 OZ., NEVER BIGGER!...More is NOT BETTER in BURGERWORLD......rare to med-rare ONLY....A little ketchup and salt...If done right...That is the PERFECT BURGER and needs no fixins other than these two burger staples. - HDM

Mal Peet...between the buns

Mal Peet. We just love his name. Mal Peet. It sounds like some delicious dutch treat, something sprinkled with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. Anyhow, he is most definitely not a baked goodie. Nope, he's the author of Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion and Betrayal--winner of the Carnegie medal no less--and of a brand-new novel, The Penalty, which is described as "a time-shifting thriller about a vanishing soccer star, occult secrets, and the dark history of slavery." Whoa....any guy who can make those elements work together has got to be some kind of genius, right?  So we put his genius to the test and gave him our much-feared and yet beloved Bookburger pop quiz....

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?  Gabriel Garcia Marquez, William Trevor, Russell Hoban, Donald Barthelme, Geraldine Mcaughrean (check out her Not the End of the World and The White Darkness)

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up? Back in the Stone Age when I was growing up, there wasn't really any teen writing. Between 10 and 13 I had a serious Biggles habit. Biggles (Captain James Bigglesworth) was a fighter pilot in World War I. The kind of plane he flew was a Sopwith Camel, which, incidentally, is what Snoopy flies in the Peanuts cartoon strips. After that, I guess I went straight on to adult stuff. I was into US crime fiction pretty quickly, and haven't grown out of it yet. I still love Elmore Leonard.

Describe your ideal place to write. The attic I write in now, but transported to some tropical paradise where lovely women with dark eyes bring me exotic cocktails every couple of hours and soothe my fevered brow.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel. Good Grief! Ummm... the theme tune would have to be 'So What?' by Miles Davis. That would be a good title for the series, come to think of it. I'm struggling to think of an event that wouldn't be on the blooper reel... Nope, can't do it.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please! The Lord has been merciful to me when it comes to geekwear. Worst I've had, I think, was a dinky little waiter's jacket and a bow tie (in which I looked dead cool, as I remember). Mind you, you have to remember I haven't had a proper job for thirty years.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should
it have? Wow. I'm not worthy, but thanks. OK, I guess it would have to be the El Gato: free-range catburger (preferably from the one that yowls in my yard at night) with jalapeno chutney and lemon mayo, with dried chili flakes on the fries. Hot!!

Win a copy of TAMAR: A NOVEL OF ESPIONAGE, PASSION, AND BETRAYAL——signed by author Mal Peet! How? Easy! Just add a comment below...we'll pick a winner at random on Tuesday, November 20.  

cecily von ziegesar--between the buns

Gossip Girls hits the airwaves (or the cable tubes, actually) tomorrow and we here at bookburger intend to celebrate this MAJOR event in the history of YA series novels about nasty pretty rich girls with take-out sushi, sparkling cider, and foot massages from bookburger's resident boy toy...how bout you?

To commemorate the launch of the new series, we also bring you this exclusive interview with GG author Cecily von Ziegesar. Not only does she have a name befitting a fabulous Old World countess, but she also shops at Theory AND Target. She kindly agreed to answer our nosy survey questions....so take it away, C von Z...

First job: waitress at restaurant with roaches

Worst job: waitress at restaurant with roaches

Perfect date: walking all around NYC with____

Favorite place: Primrose Hill in London

Favorite NYC hotspot: My patio where I planted all these flowering trees and bamboo. I like to have friends over and hang out back there until the mosquitoes drive us indoors. 

Guilty pleasure: American Idol

Best friend’s first name: Pony Boy

Good luck charm: diamond earrings

When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a…. Writer, always. I wanted to be a ballet dancer too, and a horse back rider, but writing won out in the end.

All-time favorite American Idol: Kelly. I'm a huge fan.

Last thing I bought at the mall: I don’t do malls

Favorite designer: I don't just have one favorite designer. I have more like twenty. I like Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs and Theory and Issa and Celine. But I buy a lot of clothes at Target.  I just bought this amazing little black dress there by Patrick Robinson, one of those visiting designers that did a line just for Target. It fits so perfectly and it was only $27.99.

Favorite jeans: My favorite jeans are Joes Jeans and Imitation of Christ.

Favorite movie: It’s a Wonderful Life (I cry every time)

Biggest fashion blunder: white duck feather jacket

Next vacation destination: I'm going to Rio de Janeiro soon with just my husband. I'm very excited--I've always wanted to go to Brazil!  You won't catch me in one of those string thong bikini things though.  Hello?!

Item on your grocery list: beer

French fry dip: stupid question: ketchup

Astrological sign: Cancer

Favorite TV show: American Idol (I know: loser)

Lucky color: don’t have one, I’m fickle that way

Midnight snack: sleep

Celebrity crush: Madonna (she takes herself so seriously!)

Favorite book: The Great Gatsby

Item you can't live without: Fresh air? No really, I'm very low maintenance. But I like my watered-down grapefruit juice first thing in the morning, followed by two cups of very strong milky coffee. 

Mark Peter Hughes...between the buns

Not only can Mark Peter Hughes write an excellent YA novel, he can write an excellent title too: first,  I am the Wallpaper and now, Lemonade Mouth.  The latter, published last month, is a really lovely and rocking tale of a band formed in a Rhode Island high school. We at the burger urge you to consume this book! But first, read this:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?
I’m a fan of David Yoo, who wrote this great novel called Girls for Breakfast.  I also love Paul Micou, Barbara O'Connor, Kim Ablon Whitney, Lara Zeises, and Laurie Stolarz.  Plus, I’m often amazed by the work that teens email to me as part of my online writing contests (markpeterhughes.com).  There are so many terrific undiscovered writers out there!

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?
So many!  I loved The Great Brain series by John Dennis Fitzgerald, which is about a very smart boy living with his family in Utah in the late 1800s.  I remember enjoying How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, and anything by Judy Blume.  I read a lot by Enid Blighton, too (Five Go Off In A Caravan, anyone?).  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is still one of my absolute favorite books ever.

Describe your ideal place to write.
In a neighborhood café with a cup of strong coffee and no Internet connection.  Alternatively, as long as we’re talking ideal, how about sitting in a comfortable wicker chair on a porch overlooking a magnificent coffee plantation in Costa Rica, a gentle warm breeze occasionally carrying up the musical sounds of the village below?  That was an experience I actually had one glorious afternoon.  Sure, I didn’t get a lot of writing done, but who cared?

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.
The theme song would be “Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies not only because it’s a good question and a great song, but also because the Pixies are among the coolest of all time.  The “blooper” episode would have to include the day I played the clarinet in the middle school band concert.  I was so bad at the instrument that I decided to just pretend to play—throughout the entire concert I moved my fingers but didn’t actually make any sound.  My whole family was there watching.  After the concert, my grandmother proudly announced how great I’d played, and that she had been able to hear my clarinet above any of the others.  Another blooper would have to be that day in college when I fell and slid about 30-feet down a wet, muddy hillside in white pants mere moments before a much-anticipated visit to an all-girls college in Rochester, NY.  The “best of” episode would have to include scenes from the summer I worked at the town beach in Barrington, Rhode Island.  A lot of sitting around listening to music on the sand.  Probably not great television, but a lot of fun to live through.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!
I worked at a Burger King one hot, humid summer, where my job involved standing over a vat of boiling fat while wearing a thick polyester shirt.  Another summer I worked at a factory that made chowder and stuffed clams.  I had to wear a hairnet and earplugs, and I stank of fish at the end of every day.  The odor was so strong that my sisters covered the car seat with plastic so that the smell wouldn’t soak into the fabric.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should it have?
Make mine an open-faced free-range organic turkey burger with chunky blue cheese dressing, lettuce, and a single thick-sliced tomato.  Add a tall frosty glass of lemonade too, please.

Thank you, Bookburger!

liane bonin...between the buns

Do you read every single cheesy celeb mag out there, every single week? Can you name all of Brangelina's children, in order, including the new kid? Do you know Anna Sophia Robb's shoe size and Miley Cyrus's toothpaste brand? Yes? Then we predict you'll adore Celebrity Skin: Fame Unlimited by Liane Bonin, out just last month and the first in a series of Hollywood novels. We asked the fame-brained Liane to take our pop quiz, and here's what she said:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

Well, that's definitely a trick question. I don't think most of my favorites are very obscure, but just yesterday someone asked me who Jack Kerouac was, so I guess obscure is increasingly relative. My favorites include Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," Yukio Mishima's "Spring Snow," Frederic Exley's "A Fan's Notes" (the fact I have no love for sports makes that book all the more impressive), Thomas Wolfe's "You Can't Go Home Again," Carolyn See's "Making History," Elizabeth McCracken's "The Giant's House," Joe Connelly's "Bringing Out the Dead." There are more, of course, but you have to draw the line somewhere!

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?

Anything and everything by Paul Zindel or S.E. Hinton. "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles. Sometimes, Judy Blume.

Describe your ideal place to write.

Next to the fireplace at the Literati Cafe. Second place goes to any Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. An iced blended and the absence of a sock drawer crying out to be organized tends to make the writing go a little faster.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.

"Strange Angels" by Laurie Anderson. It would probably be a horrible theme song for a TV show, but it's gorgeous and ethereal and plays in my head when I'm writing sometimes. An event that would be on the "best of" episode is my wedding day -- not only was I very happy, I've never looked so good. The blooper reel? I was in the midst of a scavenger hunt (don't ask), and in my rush to get back to home base I tried to climb into a car that wasn't mine. It wouldn't have been such a big deal, except the car just happened to be full of German tourists who looked absolutely terrified -- I think they thought I was trying to carjack them. 

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!
Ugh, yes. I had to wear a magnificently ugly red camp shirt when I was working as a cashier at a specialty grocery store in Boca Raton, Florida. It was a nightmarish job -- little old ladies would regularly tell me not to put their watermelons on top of their raspberries (so tempting, though), the guys behind the butcher counter liked to wave around skinned sheep heads, and my fellow cashiers were like the Plastics in "Mean Girls." On my last day I took great pleasure in waiting until the afternoon rush to toss in my shirt and walk out as my ex-co-workers squawked behind me.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor. What kind of fixins should it have? 
Blue cheese, veggie bacon (save Babe!), a slice of soy American cheese, avocado, grilled onions, a touch of garlic, and dollops of barbeque sauce and brown mustard. And the burger? Veggie or turkey, please!

between the buns with...margo rabb

Cures for Heartbreak is Margo Rabb's debut novel, and it's the kind of book that makes you feel she'll be around for a while. This New York writer tells us the story of a very New York girl who searches for love while coping with the death of her mom, the weirdness of her dad's new girlfriend, and a family history shadowed by the Holocaust. We think it's a beautiful read....so we asked Margo to take our pop quiz, and here's what she said:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

Zibby O’Neal, who wrote In Summer Light.  I first read it when I was seventeen, and afterward I wrote in my diary: “It’s one of the few books I’ve read about someone who’s my age which gives a teenager any bit of credit for the ability to think, to be mature—to not be an idiot.”

Laurie Colwin, the author of short stories, novels, and essays on cooking—Happy All the Time, Passion and Affect, and Home Cooking are a few of my favorites.

Betty Fussell, who wrote My Cooking Wars (I love food writers.)  It’s not only about food, but about being a wife and mother in the 1950s, and reading it made me incredibly grateful to be a woman in this era.

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. My best friend and I call ourselves Anne-heads, and a few summers ago we made a pilgrimage to Prince Edward Island, where the books are set. Anne is like a religious figure there.  Her image adorns everything from license plates to clothing, candy, soap and dinnerware; even her favorite drink, Raspberry Cordial, is sold at local convenience stores. We even went to a faux Anne village, and met a boy dressed up as Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s true love.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Describe your ideal place to write.
A quiet room with no phone, no email, and hopefully a view of the trees (not a thing you take for granted in New York City, where I grew up and still live.) A nice warm cat on the lap would be a plus, too. In fact, I think writer’s retreats should let you borrow a cat to keep your lap warm while you’re typing.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.
The theme song at the moment would have to be “Who Needs Sleep?” since I gave birth to a baby girl three months ago.  The song is by Bare Naked Ladies, though I haven’t listened to them in ten years.

For the “best of” episode, I’m going to go with the time I was writing my novel in an old fishing shanty in Nantucket in October (the idea of writing in a shanty in Nantucket had sounded very romantic, but in reality it was cold and lonely), and my boyfriend (who is now my husband) surprised me by knocking on my door.  He’d flown all the way from New York City just to visit me for one night.  I felt like a character in a romance novel. 

The blooper reel: A long, long time ago I went on a date with a guy who told me, “Why should I read a book when I can just see the movie?”  Indeed.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!
When I was a freshman in college I looked for a work-study job late and the only one I could find was on the grounds crew.  I’m five-foot-one and less than 100 pounds—not exactly muscle-clad maintenance-woman material.  I wore overalls—yuck—and shoveled gravel on the college walkways.  The guys on the crew let me off pretty easy though—eventually I became more of a mascot.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor.  What kind of fixins should
it have?
I’m going to go high-end here: there’s a burger made at one of the fancy restaurants in NYC that has both foie gras and black truffles and costs $69.  I’d like that to be my burger, because it sure beats White Castle.

Daria Snadowsky...between the buns

First, a confession: the first two times we posted about Daria Snadowsky and her debut novel, we SPELLED HER NAME WRONG. We wrote "Sand" instead of the infinitely more correct "Snad." Such are the perils of being a first-time author. However, after reading Anatomy of a Boyfriend, a can't-put-downable story with a candid and (to us) really true view of teen love and sex, we know will never again misspell this author's name. It will be branded in our minds, right next to that indelible cover image of the naked Ken doll...Anyhow, we asked Daria to take our pop quiz, and here's what she had to say.

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

One of my favorites is Dr. Dorothy Tennov, author of the groundbreaking Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love. It’s not a self-help book, but anyone who’s ever been in love to the point where it felt unhealthy and self-destructive would find this read comforting. Simone de Beauvoir said of this book, “Excellent. Of universal interest. It deals with the subject in an entirely new way.” This book was a huge inspiration behind Anatomy of a Boyfriend, which is why I dedicated it in part to Tennov (the other dedicatee is Judy Blume).

Another author I admire is Dan Elish, who spoke to my fifth-grade class at the Birch Wathen School back in ’89 about his middle-grade novel, The Worldwide Dessert Contest. He’s since written many others books, including the “lad lit” gem Nine Wives.

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?

When I was really little, I adored the Berenstain Bears. I appreciated how realistically they portrayed all the little difficulties experienced by every family, such as messy rooms, over-the-top birthday parties, or watching too much TV. I suspect those books are as reassuring to parents as they are to kids.

When I was 10, I read and was transformed by Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I had never before or since identified with a character as strongly as I did with Margaret. Then when I was a teen, Blume’s Forever took on biblical proportions for me. I was shocked and delighted by how honest and frank the prose was. These books were my other main inspiration and are why I dedicated Anatomy of a Boyfriend to Blume.

Another favorite of mine during my teen years was Will the Nurse Make Me Take My Underwear Off? by Joel L. Schwartz, Aidan Macfarlane, and Ann McPherson. In diary form, this book follows 14-year-old pile of hormones Eric Mason through a host of physical and emotional trials. Brilliantly informative and hilarious.

Describe your ideal place to write.

I know it’s cliché, but I love bringing my laptop to coffee shops. Writing is often lonely, and the background buzz of other customers, not to mention the aroma of steaming lattes, makes me feel more in touch with the world than if I were home by myself.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the “best of” episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.

My song would be Joe Cocker’s rendition of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” because it’s the theme to one of my favorite TV shows, The Wonder Years. I related to the storylines and characters so closely that the episodes play like home videos to me.

My “best of” episode would be the evening of May 27, 2006. I had just gotten home from a mind-numbing bar exam study session when I plopped down at my desk and checked my e-mail. Nothing could have prepared me for the name I saw in my inbox—Judy Blume! Yes, the Judy Blume! A couple months earlier I had mailed her a mostly edited manuscript of Anatomy of a Boyfriend because I dedicated it to her, but I wasn’t expecting to hear back because she’s so busy. Well, not only did she read the book, she said she had trouble putting it down because she enjoyed it so much! It was simply the best e-mail I ever received and ever will receive.

My blooper reel would probably include Valentine’s Day of my sophomore year of college. My then-bf and I drove his car to the top floor of Emory’s Peavine parking deck so we could be alone, since our respective roommates were both home. We weren’t in the backseat for more than 20 seconds before a campus security officer, who was patrolling around in a golf cart, found us and told us to get lost. I’m not sure why my bf and I thought “getting lost” would be accomplished by merely driving the car down one level down and resuming our activities—I guess by that time all our blood had been diverted from our brains? Anyway, a minute later, we were both genuinely startled when the same officer reappeared and ordered my bf out of the car. The poor guy had to stand outside in the freezing cold in just his socks, shorts, and undershirt while the officer gave him a piece of his mind. Then the officer stuck his head through the car window and delivered the same tirade to me about how stupid we were to risk our safety by parking in an empty deck at night (and he was right, of course). I just remember being beyond mortified and ashamed, and I think this incident made the local police blotter that week. On the upside, it inspired one of my favorite chapters in Anatomy of a Boyfriend.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!

So far all my jobs required just business casual attire, but I did once, for a job, have to guard a fellow employee who was wearing a geeky costume. The summer after high school I interned for a local radio station, and one day we threw a promotional event geared for children. We hired someone to dress up as the station mascot—a bright yellow dragon—and to mosey around the grounds and entertain the kids. As intern, it was my illustrious duty to stand directly behind the dragon at all times and to keep the starry-eyed younglings who were hounding him from grabbing the dragon’s tail. I leave that job skill off my résumé.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor. What kind of fixins should
it have?

My ultimate burger is simply the half-pound patty of heaven they serve at Port of Call, one of my favorite New Orleans dives. And instead of the cooks adding a slice of cheese while the burger’s still on the stovetop, they grate cheddar onto the meat just seconds before they serve it, so it’s actually melting and bubbling while you take your first few bites. It’s so juicy and savory as is, that lettuce, tomato, or any sort of condiment would only detract from the already ambrosial flavor. Just add a toasty bun, a side of baked potato, and a Shirley Temple to drink, and you’ve achieved gastric satiety, my friends.

Cecil Castellucci...between the buns

Punk poet of girl geekdom Cecil Castellucci has carved out a world all her own in novels like Boy Proof and Queen of Cool—a world populated by memorably quirky nerds and the people who either befriend or torment them. We predict '07 is going to be a big Cecil year...In May, she's got a graphic novel coming out from the new chick-targeted comics imprint Minx (we posted on this a while back), and a YA novel, Beige--which is all about NOT being beige. We grilled Cecil, and here's the juicy result:

Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?
I'm a big fan of Walter Tevis.  He wrote one of my fave books that I read as a teen called Mockingbird.  It's about a robot that wants to commit suicide.  So amazing.   He also wrote The Man Who Fell to Earth.

I also adore James Tiptree, Jr.  Who wrote as a man but was really a woman.   Highlights include her short story collection Warm Worlds and Otherwise.  A great biography of her life just came out. 

And of course, two up and coming writers both of whom have novels coming out in 2007

Heather Tomlinson - The Swan Maiden (Holtzbrinck)

Jo Knowles  - Lessons from a Dead Girl (Candlewick)

What kid or teen books rocked your world growing up?
All of the All of a Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor

any of the Shoes books by Noel Streatfeld

The Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Anything by Jane Austen or the Brontes.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Candide by Voltaire

Describe your ideal place to write.
How about in Paris at a cafe with a moleskine notebook and a fountain pen in the 1920s.  Oh, you mean now?  A cafe, with wireless and working plugs and a good view out of a window or a fabulous porch so I can day dream.   Also, I like writing in bed, with my iPod blasting a great music piping out a soundtrack to go along with the words flowing onto the page.

Your life is a TV series. Name the theme song, one event that would be on the "best of" episode, and one that would be on the blooper reel.
Theme Song:  What I'm Looking For by Brendan Benson

Best of Episode:  In which Cecil and her wacky gaggle of friends find an Atoll in the South Pacific and declare it to be their own country.  They call the country All Art All The Time (AAATT).  Hijinks and hilarity ensue when every one declares themselves King or Queen and no one gets any artistic work done.  Except Cecil, who declared herself the Fool and makes a great indie film documentary about the monarchy struggles in AAATT and wins an IFP award much to her friends total humiliation.  Eventually they get over it, have a laugh, and drink a lot of champagne at the awards parties. 

Episode Where We Jumped the Shark:  Cecil delivers her friend's baby in the back seat of a taxicab in the middle of a snowstorm in a very special holiday special of The Cecil Show.

Blooper Reel: Falling down, Slipping on a bananas, Tongue twisters, Bad dancing, Unfortunate static cling, Skirts accidentally tucked into hosiery, Broken high heels, Fashion Faux Pas and Failed Wooing of Gentlemen.

Burger-flippers want to know: have you ever had a job that required you to wear a geeky uniform? Details, please!
Well, there were some ugly aprons that I had to wear working  at Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor and Pier One Imports.  Blech.  But the geekiest uniform that I ever wore was my elf outfit while working as a Christmas elf at Macy's Santaland.  Now you'd think that an Elf outfit would be FANTASTIC! But they didn't have an outfit that was small enough for me so it was ill fitting and the hat was very big.   So it was kind of fantastically geeky and also totally badly geeky.

We'd like to name a burger in your honor. What kind of fixins should
it have?
It should have cheese, avocado, onions, some kind of special mayo-lemon fancy spread and cilantro.   And it should have french fries with gravy on the side.  (and Poutine if possible)  (Poutine is french fries, gravy and cheese curds) (It's a Quebec thing)

SPECIAL BONUS QUESTIONS JUST FOR CECIL:

How did you get together with the folks at Minx? Did they find you or did you find them?

Shelly Bond at Vertigo, who was launching Minx got in touch with me.   I was very happy to be found.  She had edited one of my fave Vertigo titles, The Deadenders.  I had long wanted to write comic books, but didn't know how to go about doing it.  Happily Minx was putting feelers out to see if maybe a YA author would be interested as a potential person to write a book for the Minx line.  Happily, I'm the gal that got the call.

Are there some graphic novels that really inspire you?
Some titles off the top of my head are...

Dirty Plotte by Julie Doucet

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. 

Maus by Art Spiegleman.

DMZ by Brian Wood

Gray Horses by Hope Larson

Fables by Bill Willingham

Y the Last Man by Brian K Vaughan

Sunset City by Rob Osborne

Do you have to be able to draw to do a graphic novel?
I do not draw at all. The Plain Janes is being drawn by an amazing artist, Jim Rugg, that I am so happy to be working with.  He did an excellent comic book called Street Angel, out on Slave Labor Graphics.   You don't have to know how to draw to write a graphic novel, much like you don't have to know how to draw to write a picture book.  It does help to have an appreciation for the visual.   

Any other news you can share about Minx and The Plain Janes?
Right now it's all very new, there is not much to share except that it's a book about four girls named Jane and how art is a wonderful thing.  I'm very proud of the book, and I'm hoping to hang out and write about these girls for a long time to come.   It's out in May 2007 on Minx and I'm super excited!