Marisha Pessl Reading

Let's not talk about how shitty of a blogger I've been lately. Unfortunately this post is probably not going to help my cause- trust me when I say things are crazy busy right now.

Last Thursday a friend and I drove to Santa Monica to Bergamot Station to see my beloved Marisha Pessl interviewed by Jamie Lee Curtis (via Live Talks LA). First impression: Pessl is a tiny, tiny woman and oh so pretty. Because you know that kind of stuff matters, right? 

Anyway, the reading. 

Pessl started off by reading for fifteen minutes from her latest book, Night Film. I'll be honest- I appreciate what seems to be the latest trend amongst authors to actually not read. Anyway, she opted to, so there's that. Curtis then proceeded to gush about how much of a fan she is (even though she "barely graduated from high school"- something we heard a few times) and the conversation started rolling. I didn't take notes this time, but here are some of the more memorable parts (that I can remember after writing letters of recommendation for the last six hours):

- Pessl meticulously planned out her first novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics but didn't construct out Night Film in quite the same hyper-organized way

-  Pessl writes from 9 to 4 everyday, half of the time at home, the other half at cafes or while traveling. She says the biggest secret to conquering writer's block is making yourself stay seated, and if that doesn't work to wash your hands (seriously).

- Pessl keeps a notebook that she calls "The Bible" while she writes a novel, doing all of her brainstorming in it. 

- Pessl created all of the various media pieces in Night Film with a graphic organizer, but first created a lot of it herself scrapbooking style 

- In order to create the Manhattan she created in Night Film she roamed the city, finding hidden, lesser-known places. She talked about how this is harder and harder to be with a "Starbucks and Banana Republic on every corner."

- Jamie Lee Curtis is hilarious but did hijack the interview a few times...

- Pessl fully intends on being a "career novelist" although no one asked her if she had started working on her next book

- She talked about how most artists have an "inner child."

  

Full disclosure: I'm watching Breaking Bad right now.