Saying Hello

Years ago, I interviewed the historical-humorist Sarah Vowel. I knew of her at that time not for her writing, but for her occasional appearances on The Daily Show when Jon Stewart was the host. I enjoyed her dry give-and-take with Stewart; then again, I enjoyed almost all the guests on that show, which I watched faithfully four nights a week. I was a fan, and so was a kind of fan of hers simply by association. When I learned she had also voiced the character of Invisigirl in the Pixar film The Incredibles, which I loved as well, she graduated in my mind to Full Celebrity.

I hadn’t yet interviewed many celebrity writers. Typically, I had never heard the authors until their publicist’s sent me a copy of their latest. I was certainly never a fan. As the date of our interview approached, I found myself growing nervous. I decided to write down my questions, which were based on a kind of fantasy conversation I’d already had with her, a habit I had developed over years with many people I admired.

The day of the interview arrived, and it started quite awkwardly. I asked my questions, and she gave her thoughtful answers, but it wasn’t flowing. I felt a bit as if I were talking to royalty, the way one is required to obey elaborate protocols just to say hello and goodbye. Then, midway through the interview, I abandoned my pre-written questions, and the conversation changed immediately. I wasn’t talking to a celebrity anymore; I was just talking to this person who had a written a book.

I never wrote questions down for my interviews ever again. I knew more about Sarah Vowel the moment she said hello to me on the phone than from her book or all the times I’d watched her on The Daily Show. In that simple, human exchange, so much was revealed to me that I couldn’t have imagined in my fan’s excitable mind. We’re all like the future in that way; so complete and nuanced we have to get there to learn what or who we actually are.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com