-Adam Perry, a CC guest blogger, writes for Boulder Weekly, Denver Westword and his own blog Beautiful Buzz
Hello to Pittsburgh from Boulder, CO! Seeing Girl Talk — probably the best Pittsburgh act since Don Cab and certainly the most popular since Rusted Root — the other night at Red Rocks was pretty special for a Pittsburgh native like me, especially when one of his co-horts came out in a basketball jersey with the Steelers logo on it.
Girl Talk is a controversial music star, making a career of stealing snippets of famous songs and dancing in the crowd while his hybrid creations boom out of professional sound-systems, but one thing is certain: Greg Gillis is really an amazing story: a white kid from Bridgeville who is now an international sensation, selling out big venues and headlining festivals not as a musician, not as a DJ, but as a computer mash-up wunderkind. I recently got to interview Gillis for part of a Boulder Weekly cover story on the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks and thought I’d share the unabridged interview on this, my older brother’s rising Pittsburgh arts blog. Hope you enjoy!
Adam Perry: I went to high school in Bethel Park, PA and have since lived in San Francisco, Boulder and Santa Fe. What’s it like in Pittsburgh now? I’ve heard there seems to be an art and music scene popping up there – do you feel like that’s true, and if so…do you feel like you’re a part of it?
Girl Talk (Greg Gillis): Awesome! I went to Chartiers Valley! CV Colts baby. Pittsburgh rules. The Steelers won the Super Bowl. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup. We’ve had an unstoppable year. There’s always been a healthy art and music scene here. I started to go to local shows around 1996, and I’ve been exposed to a lot of great shit. Back then, I was into Operation Re-Information, the 1985, Don Cabellero, and a bunch of others. I was able to start a band where we basically just smashed stuff and threw fireworks at the audience, and people embraced it to a certain degree. It was a great place to grow up musically. And it’s still going strong today with local acts: Grand Buffet, Wiz Khalifa, Centipede E’est, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Modey Lemon, and so on. I’m friends with many of those people, and I play shows with them. Everyone is connected to some degree.
AP: Did you grow up listening to hip-hop, or just lots of different stuff? I’m curious as to how a kid from Bridgeville ends up on bills with people like the GZA.
Girl Talk: I grew up listening to hip hop and lots of other stuff. I got into hip hop initially, from Kriss Kross to Public Enemy. My mind was melted by Nirvana a couple years later and then I followed up with more underground material. Who wasn’t jamming “36 Chambers” when it came out?
AP: Do you play lots of instruments, or do you focus on being a DJ? I’m wondering if your mind now works in a different way while listening to music – are you ever able to just enjoy a single song, or are you just picking out what you might be able to co-opt?
Girl Talk: I don’t play anything other than a computer. I’ve never really considered myself a DJ. If I played the drums, I imagine that I would possibly focus on the drums when listening to Led Zeppelin, but that wouldn’t me I couldn’t enjoy it too. So when I’m listening to pop music, things are always jumping out at me to sample, but it doesn’t take away from the music.
AP: Monolith is a big festival at arguably the best outdoor venue in the United States – some say the world – but do you prefer playing in packed clubs? What are some good outdoor concert experiences you’ve had so far?
Girl Talk: I’ve had a summer full of festivals; it’s definitely different than the club experience, but I don’t think you can compare the two. Just an entirely different thing. I think both have benefits and setbacks. I grew up playing smaller venues, naturally, so that’s where the project will always be grounded. But I love doing the large outdoor thing. It’s refreshing. I saw Lil’ Wayne this summer in Pittsburgh outdoors, and that was a great outdoor concert experience. He nailed it. There were some great homemade T-shirts there.
AP: The last time you headlined in Boulder, a bunch of my friends from out of town were all excited to see you at the Fox and then left early because the overflow crowd of obnoxious C.U. frat guys surprised and annoyed them. How have you seen your audience evolving recently, as you gain more mainstream attention?
GT: Sure, I love it. I love the audience expanding. As you gain popularity, it’s going to become a more diverse collection of people. I don’t want there to be any rules as to what you’re supposed to look or act like to be at the show. If people are uncomfortable, then great.
On September 9thRaekwon The Chef finally released his oft-delayed, highly-anticipated album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 and it was worth the long wait. Turns out The Chef didn’t sell wolf tickets by claiming he cooked up another classic; from a quality standpoint the LP has exceeded expectations. I interviewed Raekwon for the second time a few months before Linx 2 dropped and stashed it in my vault. Now that the album has arrived, the time is right to reveal it. Indeed, I’m on CPT with the release of this exclusive interview but it’s a good piece to read in retrospect because it explains a lot. In the music industry, the term “artist” is used too loosely. When the word comes to mind I think of someone who cares about their craft or, as the dictionary defines it, “a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.” In the music industry, however, the word means “a slouch who manufactures thoughtless bullshit to line their pockets.” So Raekwon deserves respect for bypassing this mentality and creating a masterpiece for his supporters.
Reflecting on my conversation with The Chef, I appreciate Cuban Linx 2 even more. And I can only hope that so-called “artists” understand there’s nothing wrong with satisfying the fans who made them what they are, rather than bowing to a machine that will ultimately chew them up and spit them out. With that said, I now present a Spizzy exclusive. My second interview with the man himself: RAEKWON THE CHEF.
New York City stand the fuck up.
Black Pacino: What‘s your message to fans who say, “There’s another delay. Is this album ever going to drop?”
Raekwon: My thing is, keep your shirt on, na’mean? Have a little bit of faith in a brother and really just understand that sometimes things happen, na’mean? Everything ain’t always concrete when it comes to dropping an album. And then the climate of today’s (music industry), the way things are going on, artists got to be a little bit more strategic and really be cautious on how they’re promoting their project. I don’t have a situation where… you know… I don’t get the proper promotion or the proper marketing. I had run across a couple of times where a lot of people ain’t know it was coming. You know what I mean? So I just want to really make sure we’ve got enough time to really get it out there to the masses. And make sure that they know we really got it poppin’ right now. I had to go through a couple of technicalities with situating the labels and doing certain things. Things just happen, man. But if you a real fan it’s like, you waited this long. I feel that another month ain’t gonna hurt nobody, na’mean? It’s here, though. That’s the most important thing. Right now we definitely feel good and confident about what we got and we just want to make a grand entrance, you know?
Pacino: Now that the album is prepped and ready to drop, do you feel like a weight is lifted off of your shoulders?
Raekwon: It gets to the point to where it’s gonna always be me still sitting there thinking about everything because anything can happen. And I already know that September is definitely the day it’s got to come out. September is the month for sure. We’re just going to let the play develop and keep our fingers and all of that crossed and put our best foot forward to make sure the people get it.
Pacino: Everybody seems to want exactly what you gave them the first time: RZA-only production, Ghostface and Nas cameos… everything. That may not be possible, and understandably so. What do you think about that?
It’s constructive criticism, you know what I mean? People are gonna say whatever they’re gonna say. But I know myself, like anybody who really knows what time it is, that you can never duplicate a classic that you’ve already made. All you can do is just try to move forward and give people a new modern-day classic, na’mean? At the end of the day it’s a classic in my eyes because we took our time and really made a certain kind of cake that we know that people… you’ve got to respect it. However you feel, like it’s not duplicated like the other one, at the end of the day it’s about growth and development. I’m an artist that just tries to move forward. I can’t sit here and tell you that I’m going to make something that’s gonna come out directly the same way as that. Nobody can do that. I don’t care what artist you point at, ain’t no nigga gonna duplicate an album the same way he made his first album or whatever.
So all I can do is put my foot forward and just really give you the heat that I feel it’s time for. And on top of that, two is different from one. That’s why they call one “ONE” and two “TWO.” You know what I mean? So people just got to open up their eyes and ears to real Hip-Hop. My shit is gonna be real regardless of whatever so you’re gonna have people that’s gonna respect the growth; you’re gonna have people who want what they want. To me, you can’t satisfy everybody. You can’t. There’s no way to satisfy everybody all of the time. I notice that a lot of times people want what they want but then if you give them something they want, you got people saying, “Yo, he didn’t grow from the music.” Then when you give them something where you grow, it’s like, “Yo, we wanted the old shit.” So it’s like you can never satisfy muthafuckas all the way. So my thing is just to give you a classic album, man… that you can enjoy and you can play without having to touch the tape deck and I feel that we accomplished that.
Pacino: At the end of the day, what are your hopes for Cuban Linx 2? It’s been a long time coming.
Raekwon: I just want people to look at it for what it is and respect it and know he ain’t change who he is as a person on the mic. He didn’t give us nothing we wouldn’t expect of him to give us, na’mean? People have to really open up their minds and understand that I’ve been in this game a long time so I’m not going to stop being who I am just to get up to date with today’s Joneses. All I can do is go back to being the Rae that I once was when I first started; the hungry artist that basically didn’t care about sales or care about none of that shit, it was just about representing… reputation. I’m a lyrical cat and today’s Hip-Hop don’t really accommodate niggas that’s lyrical. I guess that’s why I’m in the box that I’m in. So I’m just wanting the real fans that really get down for me to go out there and support me and play my shit loud and get open of it.
Pacino: I was at the video shoot for “New Wu” the other day, man. The song’s fire. I got to meet you on the set, which was definitely a highlight for me. Is it safe to call that the first single for Linx 2?
Raekwon: It’s a Link record that we definitely want people to know this is what you can expect and more. It’s guess it’s cool to call it what you want to call it. We just want to wet people’s teeth and let them know that this is a piece right here, take a taste. It’s like a fiend getting his first blast before he knocks that whole crack off, na’mean? (Laughs) He gonna take a lil’ piece right quick and just hit it real quick, BONG! Just gonna space him real quick. He gonna be like, “Riiiight, I’m good.” So that’s my thing, that’s just a portion of what you’re getting ready to expect. (Laughs) I sounded like a fiend real quick saying that. Like, “Yeah, we in space, man. We in space.” You know what I mean?
Pacino: (Laughs) Word. So what happened with Aftermath? We thought that would be home to your Cuban Linx 2.
Raekwon: Aftermath was really a situation that got blown out of proportion. I just fell back and let people think whatever they want to think because at one point it could’ve been a situation but we didn’t come to the proper terms of what we needed to with the label situation. And you know Dre is a man that has many things that he had to do so we kind of figured that it wasn’t gonna happen. So we fell back. So a lot of people did think that it was gonna happen but it didn’t work out. So my thing is, I put too much time in this business to just get being treated like a regular artist, you know what I mean? I want to able to have that dignity when I give my project to a label. I want to know that they understand it and they know what it’s about more or less than they just try to sit here and tell me, “Yo, this will big” and it don’t feel genuine. After a while I just started feeling like I got to move forward… I got to move on. Whether it’s Interscope or wherever, at the end of the day it’s about me feeling comfortable. I wasn’t comfortable. Me and Dre still remain friends. He gave me his word like, “Regardless of whether or not it pop off, I still want to be part of this project.” And me, where I come from, your word is everything. We just kept it genuine on that level. Wasn’t really no love lost, you know? Just some things ain’t always meant to happen. But at the end of the day he came through and he delivered on the project. He gave me his word that he was gonna be down for me and all I can do is run with a nigga’s word.
Pacino: Speaking of words, I’ve been reading online that Busta Rhymes left Aftermath partly because of what happened with you. Is that a misinterpretation of words?
Raekwon: Definitely. Whatever Busta left Interscope for that’s his business, that ain’t really have nothing to do with me. Busta is a good friend of mine so at the end of the day his business is his business. I would never come in between his situation and I’m sure he wouldn’t let me come in between his situation regardless because one don’t have nothing to do with the other. If he feels not comfortable with how they’re treating him, then that’s his business. So… nah, it definitely ain’t it. I guess he felt like he had to do what he had to do. That’s that shit.
Pacino: As the saying goes, “Once you know everything, you know nothing.” Are there any lessons you’ve learned since your last album dropped until this point now?
Raekwon: I learned a lot. Like I said, just being in the business so long you demand a certain kind of respect when you’ve paid the dues that you’ve paid in the game for so long. My thing is to really be more hands-on business-wise, na’mean? That’s what I learned; how these labels really make money off you. They really try to control you to where… it’s like a muthafucka gonna try to jerk you before they actually treat you fair. So I feel like I been through my days of getting jerked and going through certain shit but now you can’t do it to a nigga that already knows what it is. I think I just gained more knowledge this time and really understand that marketing is about putting money in the right places right now to promote the album. That’s what I have to really understand. Like, “Okay, we got to do it this way now because this is what is.” A lot of artists just stay in artist mode and don’t pay attention to the business side and see how these labels is doing shit. But I definitely had to open my eyes this time. I went with my heart this time and pay attention. And that’s what I did… focus more on the business side. Then I’m in a situation where I can make sure that I have the final word on something that’s better for me and better for my career, other than just somebody telling you what it should be and you don’t fully agree, na’mean?
Sometimes a muthafucka will tell you something and if you don’t know better you’ll be like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah” or whatever. But when you know better you’re like, “Hold up. Freeze. Let me think that one over. Let me go back to my camp and we have a sit-down and really delegate this issue.” And at the same token still have the power to really demand what we want. What I’m trying to say here is when you’re an artist that’s basically being controlled by your label, you and really don’t have nothing to say. But when you’re an independent artist doing your shit from your label side, they got to respect it. They got to agree to certain things because you’re the owner of your masters. A lot of time artists don’t own their masters so they really don’t have no say-so. But me now, I own my masters and I have more input now to say and stop them if something ain’t right. That comes with time and demanding what you feel you’re worth. I wouldn’t expect a new cat to come in and actually dictate what it is because he don’t know but so much. But when you’ve been in the game as long as me, they got to play with us a certain kind of way. We know all of the tricks and all of the bullshit.
Pacino: So whatever happened to that Wu-Tang vs. Shaolin album you were going to do?
Raekwon: It’s still gonna go down though but right I’mma focus on the main course right now, which is Cuban Linx 2. We’re gonna give you update on that in a minute but right now we got to finish this project. This is very important right now and I wanted to give this 200%. As far as the Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, it’s still in the making. It’s 40% done and at the end of the day you’ll get that shortly.
Pacino: So that record has nothing to do with your past disagreement with RZA over the 8 Diagrams album?
Raekwon: Nah, not at all. No static. Like I said, we’re entertainers as well as dudes that do this kind of music. I think it’s just another one to add to the catalog and basically have fun with it.
Pacino: Any parting shots for The Spizzy viewers?
Raekwon: Yeah, I would say just relax and get ready for this classic album. You’re gonna get all the essentials that you want to get on this album, the formula you really want it to be. And we want ya’all to enjoy it, man. Play it loud. Open your mind up. And just constantly think about saving real Hip-Hop. If you respect real Hip-Hop, you’re going to definitely appreciate this shit. Get ready, get your blunts, get your liquor whatever. If you don’t even do none of that shit, listen to shit and take your time and don’t let people discourage you when it comes to what you like. Open your eyes.
Jane Lynch plays the egotistical, hyper-competitive and abrasive Sue Sylvester, coach of the Cheerios, on Glee. Her lines are often the funniest and most shocking, as Sue looks down on everyone, but especially on the Glee Club.
Recently our parent site, TheTwoCents, caught up with Jane.
TTC: Your character gets to say some truly awful, awful things. How important is trust for you as an actor with the writers and producers that everything that you say will end up looking okay? How much do you have to trust the people on the show? Jane Lynch: I have to trust them a lot and I do. It’s [producers and creators] Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy, and they’re always pitch-perfect. Usually in the first draft, there is something so heinous and awful that we know won’t make it to the second draft because people will pull the plug on it, so they always have fun with the first draft, and they’ll throw things in just to make me giggle or be horrified.
TTC: At the end of the day, what do you think is Sue’s real problem with the glee club? JL: Well, they want to use her power because she reigns supreme over that school and over that particular group, and she smells their hot breath on the back of her neck, and she wants to stay as top dog, and they definitely are threatening that. She’s turning the kids in the glee club against each other, and by separating them by race, disability, color, and kind of tried to make them hate each other for their differences.
I smell that [Will] could replace me as top dog, and so she does everything she can to keep him in his place, keep in intimidated, and she takes advantage of the fact that he’s a very fair guy who wants to be friends, basically, and she uses that to her advantage. What I love most about it is that she has fun doing it. There’s a sparkle in her eye and kind of a wink, wink. She finds being evil delicious, and she loves the effect she has on people. She lives to shock them with how far she will go. I’m not that easily shocked, but Sue does say some things that made me catch my breath, but no, no, they’ve created this wonderful world that can be shocking and out there, but it all really works.
TTC: Are we going to get to see any of Sue’s personal life? Does she have some kind of a love interest? JL: Yes, there will be a little bit going on. I don’t want to give anything away, but her heart will be touched by somebody, and we learn a little bit about her family life and, perhaps, she’s humanized a little bit, but then, of course, that quickly goes away because she returns to her wicked ways. She’s not going to be giving out a lot of hugs this season, but we’re going to see her heart is actually affected by somebody, and she suffers a little bit of heartache.
TTC: Do you see any of yourself in the character of the mean Cheerio girls? JL: No, not really. That wasn’t my group. I was more with the theater nerds, and Tina’s character played by Jenna Ushkowitz reminded me of me because she’s very talented, but she holds back. Tina’s character doesn’t allow herself to shine. She’s got all this talent, but she’s kind of in the background, and that’s kind of what I was. I don’t know if I was as talented as Tina, but I would always hold back just a little bit.
I had a theater teacher in college who had all of this mystique around her, and she was called the “dragon lady,” and if you got her approval, it was just wonderful. If she gave you the time of day, it was wonderful, but basically, she ruled through humiliation and fear, and I didn’t realize that I was drawing on her, but I think I am.
Lynch, who is wonderful in the film Julie & Julia, also appears as a reoccurring character in Two and a Half Men and Party Down. She will pop up on each of these shows, but not as frequently in the past. And, since she does have a musical theater background, she promises a little something artistic from Sue in the future: A Lindy Hop with Will! She admits that she’s not a strong dancer, but if she gets the opportunity down the road to sing on the show, she knows what song she’ll suggest: “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy. A perfect choice for the Dragon Lady of Glee!
Thanks to Jane for the time. Watch Jane on Glee every Wednesday night on FOX.
Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, born in the early 1970s and both alumni of the prominent Beijing Central Academy of Art, have a long-established reputation in Asia for their controversial collaborative installations featuring animals, human tissue and baby cadaver specimens.
In the west they made a big splash in 2008 at the record crowd-drawing Saatchi exhibition of new Chinese art, The Revolution Continues with a satirical work called Old People’s Home (click for video). Both popular and critically-acclaimed, this life-sized 2007 work featured sculptures of decrepit old people “looking suspiciously like world leaders… now long impotent”‘ rolling slowly in wheelchairs around the gallery and occasionally crashing into one another.
Taking a surprising new direction, their exhibition Hong Kong Intervention (Aug 22 – Oct 10) at Osage Gallery delves into the working environments of Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.
Each of the 100 Filipino participants took a photograph of a toy grenade placed in his or her employer’s home. Sun Yuan and Peng Yu talk with Wendy Ma about whether or not this experiment in spatial intrusion by Filipino maids creates tensions.
Toy grenade placed in the center of a dining room and the back of the Filipino maid. Photography by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. Image Courtesy to Erin Wooters.
AR: What inspired you to make photos with Filipino domestic staff?
Two years ago at a square in Central I observed the mass congregation of Filipino girls. I thought it was a very interesting situation since each one is connected to a family in Hong Kong. I started chatting with them and obtained their agreement to volunteer to do the photo shoots. Through them I could intervene in an relationship.
AR: Why do the photographs include the image of a toy grenade?
To intervene, I wanted to use a toy specifically bought in Hong Kong. It was up to them to place it anywhere inside their owner’s house, e.g. inside a garden, on the bed, blending it with the environment. Then they take a photograph of the scene. The toy is a legal product. When your kid plays with a toy grenade, you might find it cute, not dangerous. It was a chance for the participants to exercise their creativity. We wanted to use a very simple object to show how it can open up possibilities.
AR: Is it just a game or does it carry other implications?
It is a game because there are no real consequences. An example of something that is not a game would be the recent incident when a reporter threw a shoe at George Bush. However, it would’ve been a game had he said, “I’m going to throw it at you, first at your head then at your chest.” By not carrying it out, it would have remained just a concept. If something happens in reality, it changes the environment. But right now our work is only a photograph.
The proposition of the game is neutral. It doesn’t carry implications of danger. Last night someone told me that they treat their Filipino maids like guests.
Hidden toy grenade on the book shelve and the male domestic worker. Photography by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. Image Courtesy to Erin Wooters.
AR: Why is the photograph of the back of the worker juxtaposed next to the surroundings?
Actually, neither the person nor the environment is significant. They are entities with no individual characteristics. Instead of specifying a particular being, I just want to describe a phenomenon.
AR: What have you found out about their lives and about contemporary Hong Kong society?
One third of the Filipino population live outside their country. They are a special group in Hong Kong. During the week they enter into the homes of different families. On Sundays, they bond and return to their own world. When they work, they disappear into the families of Hong Kong. They play different roles in their working and living environment. They use their culture to communicate. As for us, we work outside the family and we bond when we return to our home. For them, they enter our families to work. It’s the reverse.
Bedroom and Filipino maid. Photography by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. Image Courtesy to Erin Wooters.
AR: Why is the exhibition called Hong Kong Intervention?
Intervention in Chinese can be small (eating a crab) or large-scale (invading a country). It can be magnified in the imagination of readers. You can imagine the explosive possibilities of the toy grenade, despite the fact that in reality it cannot explode. How the viewer perceives ‘intervention’ is beyond my control.
Intervention can be a strategy to communicate ideas. Ours is the study of a social phenomenon. It does not necessarily mean invasion or changing a situation as it does in the English expression “tossing a grenade”.
Words acquire different meanings in different situations. They cannot be precise. Words cannot express what you actually feel. So art is not expressed through words or titles but through a different means to pull you closer to the underlying meaning.
AR: Are you concerned that the proprietor might feel violated if he saw the photograph of his home on display?
We had no intention to expose individuals. Like I said, the photos of the maids and the homes are not meant to be specifically meaningful; they only a representation and a portrayal of the mass.
Bedroom of a Hong Kong owner and the Filipino maid. Photography by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. Image Courtesy to Erin Wooters.
AR: What is the role/identity of Filipinos in your work? Creators, participants, or assistants?
I consider all the participants as collaborators: not just Filipinos, but also the audience involved in the discussions. They are common authors of the work. As part of the contract, we don’t have to give credit to them by listing their names as they transferred the copyright to us.
Contributed by Wendy Ma
Related Posts:
Editor’s note: This post is interesting to contrast with a recent exhibition at Para/Site in Hong Kong in which Filipino domestic helpers were invited to receive manicures given by the Australian artist collective Baba International. Whereas Baba International sought to nurture and engage with their subject physically, the “‘Intervention”‘ exhibition carries intriguing tones of depersonalisation and violence. Baba was keen to explain the intentions behind their work whereas Sun Yuan and Peng Yu step away and allow the viewer to explore and fully shoulder the responsibility for interpretation.
Hugs in Hong Kong by mainland artists formerly branded national criminals – interview Gao Brothers -Sep 09
Thai Chinese artist Nipan Oranniwesna shows installation art made of baby powder in Hong Kong – review- Aug 09
Embedding the Bed in Public Space – interview Hong Kong artist and ParaSite director Tim Li - Aug 09
Wallpaper’s guide to Beijing art districts – Jul 09
Young Chinese Artists The Next Generation – book review – Jun 09
Subscribe to Art Radar Asia for more interviews on Beijing artists in Hong Kong
Below is a video package of a chat we had with Chris Dickman last week.
He has since left for what will be one of over a hundred research trips out to the Simpson Desert.
As mentioned he and his team are investigating the benefits of feral predator removal, the role of small wooded plant life, the importance of local-regional dynamics and biotic interactions and the impacts of grazing on biodiversity in the Simpson Desert.
We hear about how we might imagine being in the desert space, his motivations, reflections on our connection with the land and the importance of conservation.
I‘m very happy to be hosting fellow Torontonian Megan Crewe today for an interview. Megan is the author of the YA paranormal novel Give Up the Ghost (check out my review). She’s also a Class of 2k9 member. Weclome Megan!
What inspires you?
Um, everything? Honestly, inspiration can come from anything—a conversation I overhear on the bus, a book I’m reading or a movie I just saw, an article in a newspaper or online, something I see out the window. But I find I’m most inspired by other stories, in all their forms.
Tell us about the moment you learned Give Up the Ghost would be published.
It wasn’t really one single moment—even the moment we got the first offer was drawn out because an editor told my agent he was going to offer a couple weeks before the offer actually came. And even once you have an offer you can’t assume anything until it’s negotiated and official! But that time period was filled with a lot of celebrating and many excited conversations with my husband and family and close friends, and waiting eagerly to be able to share the news more widely.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing your first novel?
The most challenging part of writing Give Up the Ghost was the voice. It was the first novel I’d written in first person. I knew that telling it in Cass’s voice was the right thing to do, but it was difficult finding a balance between staying true to her personality and the way she perceived herself, and still revealing the vulnerabilities that made her sympathetic (even if she liked to pretend they didn’t exist).
Describe your writing process. Are you an outliner, or do you discover your characters and your story as you go?
I’m definitely an outliner. I never write a book without a scene-by-scene outline on index cards. It’s my way of “testing out” the book to make sure it’s ready to be written—because if I get stuck or bored just writing the outline, then the story idea’s not ready yet. But while I’m writing I’m still discovering all sorts of things about the characters and events that I didn’t think of while I was outlining, and I often make changes to the outline as I go to reflect important things I’ve figured out.
What books have you read that made you want to write for young people?
It wasn’t specific books I read so much as the experience of being a teenager. Books were so important to me at that age (not that they aren’t now, but the intensity isn’t quite the same), as a way to visit other worlds, to understand different perspectives, to consider new ideas, to figure out who I was. I love writing for readers who get so much out of books.
What is your favourite scene in Give Up the Ghost?
I can’t say too much about it because it’d be spoilery, but I’d have to say my favorite is the scene near the end when Cass finds Tim by the lake. It’s such an important moment for both of them.
Why do you think it’s so hard for Cass to “give up her ghosts”?
I think for Cass the ghosts (both literal and figurative) are her protection. As long as she believes her ghostly friends are all she needs, she doesn’t have to feel bad that her classmates shun her. As long as she focuses on what happened in the past, she doesn’t have to think about her problems in the present. The trouble is, of course, that she’s shutting herself off from a lot of good things, too.
You’ve done so many cool things to promote your book (book trailer, contests and giveaways, fun stuff at your website, interviews). How important you do think promotion is for debut authors, and how much did you know about promotion before publishing your book?
It’s hard to say how important self-promotion is, because I have no way of knowing how successful my efforts have been! My rule is just to do things that I think are fun and interesting, and hope they help more people find out about the book. I think it’s important for authors to focus on what they feel comfortable with and enjoy, because if you don’t enjoy doing it, it’ll show, and your effort won’t get you anywhere.
I didn’t know very much about promotion beforehand, but I’d always noticed the different ways people were promoting their books online, and bookmarked discussions on methods that appealed to me, and that sort of thing. And after I signed with my agent I read a few books on marketing that gave me some great ideas.
What are you working on now?
With only a few weeks left before Give Up the Ghost’s release, I’m focusing most of my attention on that. I have a couple of YA projects that I’ll be going back to for revisions afterward.
Your top 5 ghost stories of all time: (Films and/or books allowed!)
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell – spooky and atmospheric with a great mystery and authentic characters A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb – a very unique and intense take on ghosts, with one of my favorite YA romances ever Flying in Place by Susan Palwick – another very intense and emotional read, with a great sibling relationship I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder – sweet but haunting, a very realistic portrayal of teen relationships and grief Remember Me by Christopher Pike – possibly the first YA ghost story I ever read, a creepy tale with an intriguing version of the afterlife
Phone interviews are very common in today’s job search market. Employers and recruiters use phone interviews to screen candidates as it saves cost and give them opportunity to interview out-of-town candidates before inviting them for in-person interviews.
The moment you start your job search, be prepared for the phone interview. Relax, stay confident, be prepared, and keep these tips in mind.
Answer the phone only when you can talk for few minutes. If the time isn’t convenient, ask if you could talk at another time and suggest some alternatives.
No chewing gum, eating, drinking, driving, or taking care of other stuff when on the phone.
Smile when talking with the recruiter as when you smile you show your positive attitude.
Find a place which is not only comfortable but also free of any distractions so that you can keep your focus and remain attentive.
Always keep a notepad and a pen ready and take notes.
Have your resume and job ads filed in such a way that you can find them easily and quickly.
Have your elevator pitch written and ready with the resume, so you can introduce yourself clearly and quickly with confidence.
Have your strengths, weaknesses, and a short list of your accomplishments written and available with your resume.
Speak slowly and articulately, give short answers and don’t interrupt the interviewer. Avoid using your “ums” and “uhs” and “Okays”.
After the interview, thank the interviewer and follow-up with a thank you note. Make sure to get the email id and name of the interviewer.
Remember, the goal of a phone interview is to get a face to face interview. So you should plan and prepare for it carefully. Leave a great impression and show your interest in the position as well as the company.
