SDQ Interview with Bennett Madison.

What better way to wind up my portion of the SBBT than with Bennett Madison?  After all, he's my BFF. 

(It was the Dirk realization that did it -- I had a similar epiphany about Anne Shirley.)

Bennett Madison is the author of two of my very favorite beach books -- Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls and Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox.   His new book, The Blonde of the Joke, is due out this fall. 

Books Currently Reading:

Just finished rereading HIS DARK MATERIALS.  Still totally awesome but the third book annoyed me the second time around.  I'm halfway through the new, big Amy Hempel collection which is taking me forever.  Next in my pile is THE SWIMMING-POOL LIBRARY, which a reliable friend has been bugging me to read for a year but I'm just now getting around to.

Music Currently in Rotation:

Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham's BACK NUMBERS.  When Galaxie 500 met Jem of the Holograms.  How could you go wrong?

Last Movie Viewed:

I saw 28 weeks later last night with my friend who's really into horror movies.  It was okay but I had to close my eyes during the really gross parts. Before that I saw Spider-Man 3, which I thought was both too long and too short.

Literary Crush (fictional):

DIRK from Weetzie Bat.  The mohawk, the red convertible, the slightly wounded soul.  So hot.  But once I met someone in real life who seemed a little bit like Dirk and I realized it works better on paper.

Pet Peeves:

My #1 pet peeve has always been when people apologize by saying, "I'm sorry you feel that way."  If anyone ever catches me using this phrase, I give that person permission to hit me.

Also I am really annoyed at people who walk reallllly slowwwwwly on the sidewalk.

I used to be hate superfluous quotation marks, but lately I have started to celebrate them instead.  "They can just be so fun!"

Obsession:

Right now I'm a little obsessed with blonde jokes, because I have been reading a lot of them for my new book and there are so many completely unfunny ones.
My current favorite is:

"Did you hear about the blonde who thought nitrates were cheaper than day rates?"

That's a real blonde joke.  I found it on one of those joke sites on the internet.  There is just something about the condescension and total unfunniness of it that makes me laugh every time.

Guilty Pleasure:

Any reality show in VH1's FLAVOR OF LOVE series.  Right now I am really liking Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School.  My favorite character is Schatar "Hottie" Taylor, who is also a successful musician (with the hit single MY MAN, MY MANSION, MY MONEY) and is descended from royalty.  I'm not all that guilty about this pleasure is the only thing.

Favorite Piece of Trivia:

It turns out a ton of feathers really is heavier than a ton of bricks.

Irrational Fear:

Hamsters, especially DWARF hamsters, really freak me out.

Favorite Word:

Tie between fancy and foolish.  (Probably FANCY wins.)

Don't miss today's other SBBT interviews:

Tim Tharp at Chasing Ray
Justina Chen Headley at Big A, little a
Ysabeau Wilce at Shaken & Stirred
Dana Reinhardt at Bildungsroman
Julie Ann Peters at Finding Wonderland
Cecil Castellucci at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Holly Black at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Justine Larbalestier at Hip Writer Mama
Kirsten Miller at A Fuse #8 Production

Comments

[Sam]

Okay, I have to know....if a ton is 2,000 lbs., then how can a ton of feathers weigh more than a ton of bricks? They would both be 2,000 lbs.

[JR]

the feathers and bricks thing works if the bricks are gold or silver bricks as those would be troy pounds which are a bit lighter than Avoirdupois (common) pounds in which the feathers would be measured. Thus, 2000 (avoidupois) pounds of feathers would weigh more than 2000 (troy) pounds of gold bricks. Though I've always seen this as deceptive, since I've never heard of a troy ton, but there are troy ounces and pounds.

[camila]

hola queria decirles q yo tengo un hamster y q es muy divertido y gracioso. su pajina me re gusto y me lleno de ternura . saludos
camilita

[Abbie]

heyyy i sent bennett a letter 2day (english hw) and asked him about that ton of feathers thing. maybe he'll reply!