| Interview with Jeff Burlingame |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I've been writing creatively for as long as I can remember. It started with songs (I thought I'd be a rock 'n roll
star) and moved through poetry, newspaper articles and short stories. Though the seeds were planted, I
didn't know I'd be writing professionally until after I finished college.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
My road to publishing is probably one of the most unique you'll hear. In 2004, I co-founded a non-profit
organization in Kurt Cobain's hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., with a goal of memorializing Kurt. It is called
the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee. After several public meetings, international media coverage and much
fundraising, we installed a large sign at the city's entrance reading, "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You
Are." The "Come As You Are" part was the title of one of Nirvana's hit songs.
Somewhere along the way, a friend alerted me to an Internet solicitation looking for a writer to pen a book
on Kurt. I briefly knew Kurt as a teen and was a journalist by trade. So I applied, won the "audition," and
went to contract.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The finished product is called Kurt Cobain: "Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind." Because I had written about
Nirvana and Kurt several times and was involved with my memorial committee, I knew a lot of stories others
didn't. So there are some never-before-told tales in the book, which are difficult to get when you're dealing
with a subject who has been written about as much as Kurt. There are also some rare photographs and
some pictures Kurt drew as a kid.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
The greatest inspiration for my stories has been my family and friends who have supported me through it all.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Most definitely. They have attended every one of my book signings and it's always neat to glance out and
see them smiling back at me.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
Anything that my wife cooks in the slow-cooker. Because I work from home, I have to smell it cooking all day.
By the time my wife comes home, I'm crazy for that food! Meals of that sort range from roast beef, meatballs
and gravy, turkey soup and more.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Eat a small breakfast, take my daughter to school and go for a long run.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I have a set of golden Mickey Mouse ears with my name on them and I'm not ashamed about it.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
I would be red. It was the color of my college mascot and reminds me of happy times. Also it's just a happy
color in general.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite cartoon character was Casper, the friendly ghost. Even though he was "friendly" he scared me
when I was a child. But I still tuned in every week to watch him. The cartoon character that is most like me is
SpongeBob because he likes to play and have fun and so do I.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I would love to be transported back to the eastern United States in the early- to mid-1800s and meet Edgar
Allan Poe. I'm currently writing a book about him and knowing him, like I did Kurt Cobain, would be a big help
to my writing.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I'm a huge music fan and have been my entire life. My favorite type of music depends on my mood but most
of what I listen to falls under the broad category of "rock 'n roll." Some of my favorite bands include Nirvana,
of course. I'm a big fan of what's called indie rock, or bands that most people haven't heard of because they
don't get played on the radio or MTV. Currently my favorites in that area are Earwig, Fair and Roger Clyne
& The Peacemakers.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you
saw at the theater?
I'm not a big TV fan but I do like to watch sports and the occasional news program. As for movies, I like
horror movies, comedies and documentaries. The last movie I saw in a theater was "Borat."
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Reading books is far better for you than watching television. With books, you're forced to fill in the visuals of
the story with your imagination. At the same time, you build your vocabulary and gain wisdom. Television is
all handed to you; there isn't much thought necessary.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm currently working on three books. The first one you will see in the stores is my biography of Edgar Allan
Poe, geared toward teens. I'm also working on a music-related book and a fictional one, as well.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I've been writing creatively for as long as I can remember. It started with songs (I thought I'd be a rock 'n roll
star) and moved through poetry, newspaper articles and short stories. Though the seeds were planted, I
didn't know I'd be writing professionally until after I finished college.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
My road to publishing is probably one of the most unique you'll hear. In 2004, I co-founded a non-profit
organization in Kurt Cobain's hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., with a goal of memorializing Kurt. It is called
the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee. After several public meetings, international media coverage and much
fundraising, we installed a large sign at the city's entrance reading, "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You
Are." The "Come As You Are" part was the title of one of Nirvana's hit songs.
Somewhere along the way, a friend alerted me to an Internet solicitation looking for a writer to pen a book
on Kurt. I briefly knew Kurt as a teen and was a journalist by trade. So I applied, won the "audition," and
went to contract.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The finished product is called Kurt Cobain: "Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind." Because I had written about
Nirvana and Kurt several times and was involved with my memorial committee, I knew a lot of stories others
didn't. So there are some never-before-told tales in the book, which are difficult to get when you're dealing
with a subject who has been written about as much as Kurt. There are also some rare photographs and
some pictures Kurt drew as a kid.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
The greatest inspiration for my stories has been my family and friends who have supported me through it all.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Most definitely. They have attended every one of my book signings and it's always neat to glance out and
see them smiling back at me.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
Anything that my wife cooks in the slow-cooker. Because I work from home, I have to smell it cooking all day.
By the time my wife comes home, I'm crazy for that food! Meals of that sort range from roast beef, meatballs
and gravy, turkey soup and more.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Eat a small breakfast, take my daughter to school and go for a long run.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I have a set of golden Mickey Mouse ears with my name on them and I'm not ashamed about it.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
I would be red. It was the color of my college mascot and reminds me of happy times. Also it's just a happy
color in general.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite cartoon character was Casper, the friendly ghost. Even though he was "friendly" he scared me
when I was a child. But I still tuned in every week to watch him. The cartoon character that is most like me is
SpongeBob because he likes to play and have fun and so do I.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I would love to be transported back to the eastern United States in the early- to mid-1800s and meet Edgar
Allan Poe. I'm currently writing a book about him and knowing him, like I did Kurt Cobain, would be a big help
to my writing.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I'm a huge music fan and have been my entire life. My favorite type of music depends on my mood but most
of what I listen to falls under the broad category of "rock 'n roll." Some of my favorite bands include Nirvana,
of course. I'm a big fan of what's called indie rock, or bands that most people haven't heard of because they
don't get played on the radio or MTV. Currently my favorites in that area are Earwig, Fair and Roger Clyne
& The Peacemakers.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you
saw at the theater?
I'm not a big TV fan but I do like to watch sports and the occasional news program. As for movies, I like
horror movies, comedies and documentaries. The last movie I saw in a theater was "Borat."
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Reading books is far better for you than watching television. With books, you're forced to fill in the visuals of
the story with your imagination. At the same time, you build your vocabulary and gain wisdom. Television is
all handed to you; there isn't much thought necessary.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm currently working on three books. The first one you will see in the stores is my biography of Edgar Allan
Poe, geared toward teens. I'm also working on a music-related book and a fictional one, as well.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!