November 07, 2006
Speedlinks: Laura Lippman Interviews
Laura Lippman is a recovering journalist who still climbs back into the typewriter, and she did so with her latest letter in this interview with Duane Swierczynski. And like the pro she is, she found a way to make the interview interesting (of course, Duane helped):
Laura: I always inferred -- don't know why -- that you weren't exactly happy in lad mag land.And if you're interested in "The Blonde," Duane's latest book (after "The Wheelman"), Crime Fiction Dossier just announced a giveaway contest.
Duane: Actually, I had fun, even though I was always the minority hire. At Men's Health, I was the doughy, out of shape one. At Details, the unstylish one. The toughest part was the instability -- I watched four editors get the axe at those magazines. Which is why I always assume editors in chief have the shelf life of yogurt.
Laura: So why did you leave?
Duane: I left Details because Meredith, the Bride, really hated New York. And I couldn't blame her: it's a city to endure, most days. And then I left Men's Health for the chance to move back to Philly, which I desperately missed. But it's almost always been for a better job. (Or situation)
Laura: I read recently that it's not money that makes us happy, but our relative stature. Which means everyone in New York is miserable.
Duane: That's great. And absolutely true. Did you catch Sara Gran's piece about being a writer in Brooklyn? Same idea... I can say with certainty that I'm the only crime writer in Rhawnhurst (my neighborhood in NE Philly). I rule Rhawnhurst!
(And thanks to Sarah Weinman for the link)
And here's a few other links that I can uncheck on Bloglines:
* Buzz Girl passes along Penguin's Spring line, with books by John Marks (a vampire novel set at a show not unlike "60 Minutes" where he was a producer), and my favorite: "Lust in Translation: The Rules of Infidelity from Tokyo to Tennessee" by Pamela Druckermann. "A global look at how and why people cheat on their spouses and how different rules govern illicit love in different parts of the world."
* Copyblogger shares Ernest Hemingway's Top 5 Tips for Writing Well. Bonus advice offered from Stephen King.
* Frank Wilson over at Books, Inq., finds a girl who really, really loves languages.
* Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine site reveals upcoming books from Hard Case Crime, the publishers who brought out Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid."
* Finally, vote or not vote? Ed Champion says yes; while Tom Bradley at the NBCC-recommended site 3AM Magazine says FUCK VOTING!
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