| Interview with Kerry Cohen Hoffmann |
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 took my writing seriously for the first time when I was in college, but I really got my first spark while reading
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers when I was a senior in high school. It was the first of
many times I found myself in the pages of a book. I kind of knew then I wanted to do the same for
somebody else someday.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
If we’re just talking about Easy, it was a super short road. I wrote Easy in less than 5 months with little
revision. I queried three agents, two wanted to see the full manuscript, and one of them called a week later
offering representation. Two weeks later we had interest from three publishers. Two of these gave offers,
and I went with Simon & Schuster. I wrote in my acknowledgments that it doesn’t have to be a grueling
process to get published, and my experience is evidence of that. Don’t get me wrong though – I didn’t
come new to writing without a decade and a half of experience. I worked hard over the years to get there.
By the time I wrote Easy, the story was already practically whole and ready to be written.
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?
That you need it, especially if you’re a girl. Easy is about a girl who turns to male attention because she
isn’t getting attention at home. I’m also a psychotherapist by trade, and I’ve met countless girls who have
taken the same path. What’s more, I lived it myself. In Easy, Jessica (the protagonist) turns to promiscuity,
hoping this will help her feel loved and worthwhile. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t, and she has to find a way to
feel worthwhile on her own. Even if you’re not a girl who looks to boys for easy attention, the book provides
another way to look at “The Slut,” which most every school has.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My own life. I would like to be one of those writers who has a fantastic imagination, but I’m really not.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I’m married to a wonderful, handsome, funny, smart man and we have two little boys. My husband is very
supportive and proud, but he also reminds me that my boys will grow up someday and have to be the sons
of the woman who wrote a book about sex. I’m not worried about it. More likely, they won’t care all that
much about what I wrote.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Noodles with salt. No – cold noodles with salt.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Grumble that my children, who woke me, are taking years off my life; pee; and brush my teeth.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
That I still keep pictures and love notes from exes. For the record, my husband knows not to feel
threatened.
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?
Oh, man, I hate questions like this. I always come out sounding stupid. I guess I’d be midnight blue
because it’s mysterious, deep, rich, almost exotic. See? Stupid.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite is Elmo, only because he provides me with hours of free time (i.e., my kid loves to watch him).
Probably the one most like me is Lucy of Peanuts. I try to control things too much, and I have a thing for
musicians, like her.
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’d like to be around when the Native Americans lived here on land untouched by settlers. Then again, as a
white Jewish woman I can’t imagine I’d fit in too well.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
Alternative country – Richard Buckner, Palace Music, Cat Power. I can’t listen to music when I write, mainly
because I tend to sing along when it’s on.
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?
Sopranos and Entourage (how delicious is Adrian Grenier?) are my absolute favorites. My closet faves are
Real World, the O.C., and DeGrassi. You can see I have a thing for teen drama. I get to say watching is
research for my work. I don’t really watch any movies over and over again, but if any Mel Brooks movie is
on TV, I have to watch it. The last movie I saw in the theater was Brokeback Mountain. I was hugely
pregnant with my second child and I went alone. It was probably the last time I’ll get to go out to a movie
again for a while since I have an infant again now. What a great love story, in any case – beautifully filmed,
well acted, excellent writing. I cried from about half an hour into the movie until the end. That might have
been the hormones though.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Love yourself first. Take responsibility when you should. Know that whatever is difficult will pass, but since
you’re there, use those difficult times to learn something about yourself so the next time won’t be as bad.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I currently have three other books written. One is about a girl who steals rather than face her anger about
losing her brother. Another is about three senior girls who agree to lose their virginities before graduation.
And the third is a memoir (meant for both adults and teens) on the same subject as Easy. None of these
are sold yet, so watch www.kerrycohenhoffmann.com for updates. I’m also just starting another novel now,
which I’m excited about and I hope my readers will be too.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
wanted to be a writer?
I took my writing seriously for the first time when I was in college, but I really got my first spark while reading
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers when I was a senior in high school. It was the first of
many times I found myself in the pages of a book. I kind of knew then I wanted to do the same for
somebody else someday.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
If we’re just talking about Easy, it was a super short road. I wrote Easy in less than 5 months with little
revision. I queried three agents, two wanted to see the full manuscript, and one of them called a week later
offering representation. Two weeks later we had interest from three publishers. Two of these gave offers,
and I went with Simon & Schuster. I wrote in my acknowledgments that it doesn’t have to be a grueling
process to get published, and my experience is evidence of that. Don’t get me wrong though – I didn’t
come new to writing without a decade and a half of experience. I worked hard over the years to get there.
By the time I wrote Easy, the story was already practically whole and ready to be written.
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?
That you need it, especially if you’re a girl. Easy is about a girl who turns to male attention because she
isn’t getting attention at home. I’m also a psychotherapist by trade, and I’ve met countless girls who have
taken the same path. What’s more, I lived it myself. In Easy, Jessica (the protagonist) turns to promiscuity,
hoping this will help her feel loved and worthwhile. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t, and she has to find a way to
feel worthwhile on her own. Even if you’re not a girl who looks to boys for easy attention, the book provides
another way to look at “The Slut,” which most every school has.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My own life. I would like to be one of those writers who has a fantastic imagination, but I’m really not.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I’m married to a wonderful, handsome, funny, smart man and we have two little boys. My husband is very
supportive and proud, but he also reminds me that my boys will grow up someday and have to be the sons
of the woman who wrote a book about sex. I’m not worried about it. More likely, they won’t care all that
much about what I wrote.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Noodles with salt. No – cold noodles with salt.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Grumble that my children, who woke me, are taking years off my life; pee; and brush my teeth.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
That I still keep pictures and love notes from exes. For the record, my husband knows not to feel
threatened.
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?
Oh, man, I hate questions like this. I always come out sounding stupid. I guess I’d be midnight blue
because it’s mysterious, deep, rich, almost exotic. See? Stupid.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite is Elmo, only because he provides me with hours of free time (i.e., my kid loves to watch him).
Probably the one most like me is Lucy of Peanuts. I try to control things too much, and I have a thing for
musicians, like her.
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’d like to be around when the Native Americans lived here on land untouched by settlers. Then again, as a
white Jewish woman I can’t imagine I’d fit in too well.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
Alternative country – Richard Buckner, Palace Music, Cat Power. I can’t listen to music when I write, mainly
because I tend to sing along when it’s on.
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?
Sopranos and Entourage (how delicious is Adrian Grenier?) are my absolute favorites. My closet faves are
Real World, the O.C., and DeGrassi. You can see I have a thing for teen drama. I get to say watching is
research for my work. I don’t really watch any movies over and over again, but if any Mel Brooks movie is
on TV, I have to watch it. The last movie I saw in the theater was Brokeback Mountain. I was hugely
pregnant with my second child and I went alone. It was probably the last time I’ll get to go out to a movie
again for a while since I have an infant again now. What a great love story, in any case – beautifully filmed,
well acted, excellent writing. I cried from about half an hour into the movie until the end. That might have
been the hormones though.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Love yourself first. Take responsibility when you should. Know that whatever is difficult will pass, but since
you’re there, use those difficult times to learn something about yourself so the next time won’t be as bad.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I currently have three other books written. One is about a girl who steals rather than face her anger about
losing her brother. Another is about three senior girls who agree to lose their virginities before graduation.
And the third is a memoir (meant for both adults and teens) on the same subject as Easy. None of these
are sold yet, so watch www.kerrycohenhoffmann.com for updates. I’m also just starting another novel now,
which I’m excited about and I hope my readers will be too.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
