Interviews
Mar. 20th, 2010 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellenkushnerTime was when I dreamed of being interviewed. Many questions would be asked by interested parties well-versed in my art, and I would get to talk endlessly about Me, Me, Me!
Well, several ahem years and many interviews later, and . . . .
I'm Guest of Honor at this year's Finncon, because Johanna Vainikainen-Uusitalo did a gorgeous translation of Thomas the Rhymer last year, and I won a prize. So a lovely man from a Finnish F/SF magazine has read all my work - including the short stories (! see, I told you he was a lovely man) - has e-mailed me many flattering and intelligent questions to answer by return e-mail. Like, 20 of them.
Mind you, back in The Day, an interview consisted of someone buying you coffee if they were local, or phoning you if they weren't, and paying flattering attention as you spoke, and rapidly scribbling it all down, with maybe a cassette on the table for backup. Weeks later, the interview would appear in print, and you'd read it and go, "I never said that!" or "This makes no sense without the punctuation!" or "But I was laughing when I said that! In a mocking and cynical way!" And you'd call all your friends and read it to them, and they'd tell you it was fine, really, it doesn't make you sound like an idiot (or, if it was really bad, that no one reads that rag anyway). But you did get to just talk about yourself for 20-60 minutes, and that was that.
OK, so they really are terrific questions. I'm even asking his permission to reprint some of them here.
But typing all those answers still feels like homework.
Well, several ahem years and many interviews later, and . . . .
I'm Guest of Honor at this year's Finncon, because Johanna Vainikainen-Uusitalo did a gorgeous translation of Thomas the Rhymer last year, and I won a prize. So a lovely man from a Finnish F/SF magazine has read all my work - including the short stories (! see, I told you he was a lovely man) - has e-mailed me many flattering and intelligent questions to answer by return e-mail. Like, 20 of them.
Mind you, back in The Day, an interview consisted of someone buying you coffee if they were local, or phoning you if they weren't, and paying flattering attention as you spoke, and rapidly scribbling it all down, with maybe a cassette on the table for backup. Weeks later, the interview would appear in print, and you'd read it and go, "I never said that!" or "This makes no sense without the punctuation!" or "But I was laughing when I said that! In a mocking and cynical way!" And you'd call all your friends and read it to them, and they'd tell you it was fine, really, it doesn't make you sound like an idiot (or, if it was really bad, that no one reads that rag anyway). But you did get to just talk about yourself for 20-60 minutes, and that was that.
OK, so they really are terrific questions. I'm even asking his permission to reprint some of them here.
But typing all those answers still feels like homework.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:02 am (UTC)Cause let's face it, as an Awesome Author, you've already earned the A. ;)
Now just settle down with a good cup of tea and answer away. And remind him, he owes you a cuppa when you get together in Real Life.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 04:09 pm (UTC)You speak good counsel.
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Date: 2010-03-21 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 04:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 10:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 02:41 pm (UTC)The English-language web site is still on the to do list, but we're happy to answer any questions you or anyone else might have. Just send them to <info@2010.finncon.org> and we'll get back to you.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 11:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 02:28 pm (UTC)Your very own coloring book
Date: 2010-03-21 04:57 pm (UTC)So here's an opportunity to explain the complexities of your vision by filling in the colors.
How cool is that?
Re: Your very own coloring book
Date: 2010-03-22 03:00 pm (UTC)I felt the same way about my books: I would write descriptions of them, which the publisher would use as jacket copy - but I always wanted to see a COPYWRITER's (sometimes that was the editor, too) description, full of bliss & hyperbole! And yet, the times they tried, I always ended up rewriting the thing anyway (my years as a copywriter had maybe something to do with this, but still)...!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 02:19 am (UTC)Finnish sounds like Elvish to me. Is there an Elvish translation of your work yet?
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Date: 2010-03-22 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 02:58 pm (UTC)http://www.wgbh.org/pri/spirit
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Date: 2010-03-22 03:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-22 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 10:32 pm (UTC)No, I had no idea! Nor am I quite certain what to do with this information. Other than go, "Oh.My." a lot. I guess she lost, huh? And I never even got to use the "for the win" icon....