Although we still wish that longtime Phoenician Laurie Notaro hadn't moved to Oregon, we're always thrilled to know that the prolific scribe of Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood and We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive will crack us the you-know-what up with a new book just when we're casting about for something to read.
Her latest, Spooky Little Girl, finds the writer getting back into the fiction thing. The book chronicles the hard-knock existence of Lucy Fisher, who, after sort of dying, must pass some hardcore tests just to gain entry to the afterlife.
Laurie will be making two author appearances in the Valley so New Times decided to catch up with Notaro, who graciously scrambled to answer our questions via e-mail from the back of a New York City cab.
Where did you just fly from?
Chicago. I spent the weekend with some friends that have a house near the militia group in Michigan that were just arrested.
How's the tour going thus far?
(answer after the jump)
Couldn't be better, except, of course, I got popped by Eugene, Oregon TSA for a body search and also because they mistook my 28 packets of All Bran fiber drinks for explosives.
Was it difficult getting back into fiction?
No, not at all. I had a great idea via the dentist chair and I wasn't even on nitrous! I couldn't wait to get started on that book and play with the dead.
I read your e-mail blast about being dragged out of 1996, technologically speaking. I assume you're picking up modern-day technology pretty quickly, especially since the last e-mail you sent was from an iPhone???
Well, I dropped my laptop three times and finally killed it, so I'm iPhoning it. And I have fat fingers so it's hard to type and fight with the iPhone auto correct. I typed a text to a friend that said, "A lady is picking me up in six minutes," and iPhone translated that into, "Eons is licking me up for six minutes." Disgusting. It should be called iPorn.
Any big plans while back in Phoenix?
Rosita's on McDowell, Restaurant Mexico, and Casa Reynoso. My favorites. Oregon definitely needs more diversity aside from Burrito Boy.
This is hard, sorry. I'm iPhoning from a NYC cab. It's getting a little crazy and it smells like a locker room in here! Oops. Houston and Mott. This is my stop!
Laurie Notaro is scheduled to appear at Barnes & Noble, 21001 North Tatum Boulevard, at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 24, and at Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 South McClintock Drive in Tempe, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 28. For more information, go to www.laurienotaro.com.