| Interview with Marilyn Singer |
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.
Glad to be here, so I don’t HAVE TO WRITE. Heh heh.
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 was one of those kids who didn’t like to go to bed. My neighbor in the Bronx said to fall asleep, I should
tell myself stories. So, it’s my neighbor’s fault that I became a writer. Sort of. When I was in elementary
school, I thought I would become a writer, but then I forgot about it. Except for poetry, I didn’t get
serious about writing until I quit teaching in 1974. Then I started scribbling down stories and reading
them to my husband. I joined a writer’s group. I got a picture book accepted. Bam, I was a writer!
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Well, I was lucky, selling that book—and the seventies were a different time in publishing. Meaning, you
could be an unknown with no agent and an top editor would read your manuscript anyway. It took just
six months to sell that first picture book, THE DOG WHO INSISTED HE WASN’T. The rest of my career
has been a lot more bumpy; some years I’ve sold a lot of manuscripts, other years nothing. The road to
publishing is full of pot holes! But I have been luckier than many people—I’ve published over seventy
books. Now if only people would read ‘em...
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?
My latest book for teens is MAKE ME OVER: 11 Original Stories about Transforming Ourselves. It is an
anthology of short stories. I edited the book and contributed one story. It is NOT just a book of how to
look prettier or more handsome. In it you’ll meet a blind girl who doesn’t want to date an ugly guy, a
stripper trying to take care of her family, a boy who lives next to an eerie abandoned funeral parlor, a
kid who pretends to be French to get girls, and a host of other characters. Sold yet?
My most recent book, period, is WHAT STINKS?, a non-fiction book about plants and animals that smell
bad. It was a blast to write. I won’t tell you what kind of a blast. That would be rude. ;-)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My grandmother was a great inspiration. We shared a room till I was twelve and she told me wonderful
stories every night. My parents read to me every night, too. Then there were all the great authors I
read, my favorite being Shakespeare. There are inspirations everywhere!
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My husband is my best and toughest critic, and he’s been a great support throughout my whole career.
We’ve been together for 35 years (yeah, I’m old). We don’t have kids, but we do have pets—a standard
poodle named Oggi, a cat named August, two doves, and Darling, a rescued starling. We also have lots
and lots of faithful friends!
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Bread, cheese, fruit. And a cup of great tea.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Go to the bathroom, check my e-mail, and feed my birds, not necessarily in that order.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
How easily surprised are you? ;-) What surprises ME is how much stuff I own. Sheesh! I have rocks and
knickknacks all over the place and a big collection of show tunes. How about that?
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?
A rich blue—I just like it. It’s bright, friendly, and stands out without being too flashy.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I’m not much of a cartoon watcher, but I do like the Simpsons and I used to love Betty Boop. Guess she
was my favorite. Who’s most like me? Uh, Daffy Duck? No idea, really. Probably Lisa Simpson.
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?
Renaissance England, watching a first-run Shakespearean play. But I’d have to be smart, independent,
and powerful, and able to afford the good seats and not the pit! Then I’d want to come back to the
present and tell all my friends about what a thrill it was.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
Well, since I already said I collect show tunes, that kinda gives it away, eh? I love musical comedies. I
also like classic jazz and rock and Motown. I love the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and a lot of Broadway
types such as Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald. My parents took me to musicals from the time
I was small, so they’re imprinted on me.
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?
Yeah, I have a number of fave shows. The Sopranos; Monk; various HBO comedies (Entourage, Curb
Your Enthusiasm, the finished and lamented Larry Sanders Show, etc.); Alton Brown’s cooking show,
Good Eats. I am a big sucker for talent contests, so I’m a rabid American Idol and So You Think You
Can Dance? fan. Also Project Runway. And I still get a kick out of Queer Eye. Surprised ya, didn’t I?
I don’t tend to watch movies over and over (I don’t have time!), but I’m a big movie fan. I like quirky
independent stuff, mostly. The last movie I saw was last night—a screening of A PRAIRIE HOME
COMPANION. But I mostly watch DVDs these days. The last one of those I saw was SERENITY, a good
SF film based on the terrific TV series, Firefly.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I was a lonely geek in high school. Now I have a load of friends and I can be the life of the party. Life
gets better. Way, way better.
And if it’s great now, enjoy it, you lucky gal/guy, you!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I just finished writing a young adult novel called TASTE. It’s about food, love, sex, and a really cheesy
gift shop. I hope I sell it soon so you all can read it.
I also have a number of poetry collections coming out, including a strange one featuring a form I think I
invented: the reverso (a poem that can be read up or down to form two distinct poems). Look for it!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at 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.
Glad to be here, so I don’t HAVE TO WRITE. Heh heh.
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 was one of those kids who didn’t like to go to bed. My neighbor in the Bronx said to fall asleep, I should
tell myself stories. So, it’s my neighbor’s fault that I became a writer. Sort of. When I was in elementary
school, I thought I would become a writer, but then I forgot about it. Except for poetry, I didn’t get
serious about writing until I quit teaching in 1974. Then I started scribbling down stories and reading
them to my husband. I joined a writer’s group. I got a picture book accepted. Bam, I was a writer!
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Well, I was lucky, selling that book—and the seventies were a different time in publishing. Meaning, you
could be an unknown with no agent and an top editor would read your manuscript anyway. It took just
six months to sell that first picture book, THE DOG WHO INSISTED HE WASN’T. The rest of my career
has been a lot more bumpy; some years I’ve sold a lot of manuscripts, other years nothing. The road to
publishing is full of pot holes! But I have been luckier than many people—I’ve published over seventy
books. Now if only people would read ‘em...
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?
My latest book for teens is MAKE ME OVER: 11 Original Stories about Transforming Ourselves. It is an
anthology of short stories. I edited the book and contributed one story. It is NOT just a book of how to
look prettier or more handsome. In it you’ll meet a blind girl who doesn’t want to date an ugly guy, a
stripper trying to take care of her family, a boy who lives next to an eerie abandoned funeral parlor, a
kid who pretends to be French to get girls, and a host of other characters. Sold yet?
My most recent book, period, is WHAT STINKS?, a non-fiction book about plants and animals that smell
bad. It was a blast to write. I won’t tell you what kind of a blast. That would be rude. ;-)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My grandmother was a great inspiration. We shared a room till I was twelve and she told me wonderful
stories every night. My parents read to me every night, too. Then there were all the great authors I
read, my favorite being Shakespeare. There are inspirations everywhere!
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My husband is my best and toughest critic, and he’s been a great support throughout my whole career.
We’ve been together for 35 years (yeah, I’m old). We don’t have kids, but we do have pets—a standard
poodle named Oggi, a cat named August, two doves, and Darling, a rescued starling. We also have lots
and lots of faithful friends!
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Bread, cheese, fruit. And a cup of great tea.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Go to the bathroom, check my e-mail, and feed my birds, not necessarily in that order.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
How easily surprised are you? ;-) What surprises ME is how much stuff I own. Sheesh! I have rocks and
knickknacks all over the place and a big collection of show tunes. How about that?
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?
A rich blue—I just like it. It’s bright, friendly, and stands out without being too flashy.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I’m not much of a cartoon watcher, but I do like the Simpsons and I used to love Betty Boop. Guess she
was my favorite. Who’s most like me? Uh, Daffy Duck? No idea, really. Probably Lisa Simpson.
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?
Renaissance England, watching a first-run Shakespearean play. But I’d have to be smart, independent,
and powerful, and able to afford the good seats and not the pit! Then I’d want to come back to the
present and tell all my friends about what a thrill it was.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
Well, since I already said I collect show tunes, that kinda gives it away, eh? I love musical comedies. I
also like classic jazz and rock and Motown. I love the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and a lot of Broadway
types such as Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald. My parents took me to musicals from the time
I was small, so they’re imprinted on me.
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?
Yeah, I have a number of fave shows. The Sopranos; Monk; various HBO comedies (Entourage, Curb
Your Enthusiasm, the finished and lamented Larry Sanders Show, etc.); Alton Brown’s cooking show,
Good Eats. I am a big sucker for talent contests, so I’m a rabid American Idol and So You Think You
Can Dance? fan. Also Project Runway. And I still get a kick out of Queer Eye. Surprised ya, didn’t I?
I don’t tend to watch movies over and over (I don’t have time!), but I’m a big movie fan. I like quirky
independent stuff, mostly. The last movie I saw was last night—a screening of A PRAIRIE HOME
COMPANION. But I mostly watch DVDs these days. The last one of those I saw was SERENITY, a good
SF film based on the terrific TV series, Firefly.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I was a lonely geek in high school. Now I have a load of friends and I can be the life of the party. Life
gets better. Way, way better.
And if it’s great now, enjoy it, you lucky gal/guy, you!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I just finished writing a young adult novel called TASTE. It’s about food, love, sex, and a really cheesy
gift shop. I hope I sell it soon so you all can read it.
I also have a number of poetry collections coming out, including a strange one featuring a form I think I
invented: the reverso (a poem that can be read up or down to form two distinct poems). Look for it!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
