One of my favorite writers interviews one of the most underappreciated comedians.  No one will be able to convince me otherwise about the genius of Chris Elliott (damn you Rolling Stone for stealing my hypothesis).  His looney tunes sitcom Get a Life earned him that status.

The interview was a benefit at City Arts & Lectures in San Francisco.

After coming across author Mickey Hess’s Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory [BUY]and then catching him reading at Powell’s Books, we were fortunate enough to catch up with him for a few minutes over the phone to talk writing, hip-hop and other things.

He was a pleasure to talk to and I feel as though, despite being off my game for a variety of reasons, I could’ve kept him on the phone all night.  If you have the chance you can look up some of his writings on McSweeney’s or The2ndhand.

Luckily for you, dear readers, we’ve been allowed to include one of his stories, Ghost Walk (PDF), to download and take with you, since Hess is a huge proponent of making his writing available to all through a variety of free methods.

But for real, you should get to know this writer since he’s that good.  Not in a show-offy kind of way, but in an easy-going enjoyable one.  He switches effortlessly between the funny and the serious, the absurd and the sincere.

Hi Mickey, how’s it going?  Are you still in Portland?

No, I flew back to Philadelphia after the reading.

So it was a quick visit then?

Usually the readings are a a hit and run and I got to spend the morning in Portland and visit Powell’s, which is what you’re supposed to do.

I know some authors love readings, like Chuck Palahniuk turns them into a big spectacle, and others loathe them.  What’s your take, especially because you’re still making a name for yourself and at your Portland reading there was a small crowd, but more than I thought would be there.

I think the readings are fun, it’s tough to get feedback when you write.  You can’t sit down and watch someone read your book, that would be weird.  At a reading you can see people in the crowd and see them laugh at parts and react to things and that’s great because it’s just another way to tell what works and what doesn’t in a book or story.

Is it difficult having yourself be a central character in your writing?  You’re very honest in both the good and the negative in terms of your portrayal of “Mickey Hess.”  Is there a tendency to alter things and make yourself come off better.

Surprisingly it’s easy and the trick is not changing anything when you look back at it. You always have your own perspective and then you go to revise it two or three months down the road you think I don’t believe any of this anymore and you want to tweak everything.  You lose that immediacy to the events that happened.  Once it’s down you have to question is it poorly written or am I embarrassed by it.

You’re smarter six-months later or you think differently about things that happened.  It’s a better perspective, so of course there’s a tendency to be embarrassed by things.  I work really hard to not change things I’m embarrassed by only if it’s poorly written.

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I don’t know why but this Popmatters interview with mass-market novelist David Baldacci made me laugh. It’s probably because I’ve never read a single book of his, probably because I’ve assumed his books come off like a poor man’s John Grisham, and also I know next to nothing about the man.

However, after this interview, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to read at least one of his books, or at least hope he writes something more personal and less-lawyerly.

Baldacci has written 16 best-sellers since 1996, so part of my previous aversion was strickly jealously. He can honestly introduce himself to people at parties as “Hi! I’m rich bitch!” But that’s besides the point. And yes, he’s a former DC lawyer. Boo! Hiss! Shame him!

Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Trek. I heard somewhere that the entire flight deck of the Starship Enterprise was made of cardboard. That even added to the allure for me. Kirk and Spock saved the universe with cardboard. Imagine what they could have done with, say, plastic or even aluminum foil. It does give one pause.

Stress management: hit man, spa vacation or Prozac?
Depending on the source of the stress, definitely a hit man. They’re professionals. You pay your money and get what you paid for. I think the world would be a much more civilized place if hit men were legalized. I could see them flying through the fine suburbs in the soccer vans loaned to them by their clients, windows down, lead flying, obnoxious Yuppies going down hard on their well-manicured lawns.

Essential to life: coffee, vodka, cigarettes, chocolate, or . . .?
Hallucinogens. Because I find that coffee, nicotine and even Prozac have their limits. Seriously, what would any of us do without friends and family? They’re the calm harbor in the storms. Without that, you’re zip.

Funny man that David Baldacci. Next time I’m at the airport I’ll pick up one of your books.