Another Interview Like This, and The Writer is History

SLIGHTLY OFF THE MARK

 

            Although the idea behind my new book is pretty straightforward, I thought some people might want details, so I put word out in the local media that I was open for interviews. They replied that they were closed. But my friend, Howie Dunnit, stepped in and volunteered to interview me. He’s not a journalist, but how bad could it be?

            “So,” he asked, “About this book: Are you crazy?”

            Did I mention he’s not a journalist?

            “You write fiction, and alleged humor. What made you take on a non-fiction project?”

            Well, someone said “If someone put a gun to your head and made you write this, would you?”, and I just assumed they had a gun.

            “Very funny. What about this crazy title? Smoky Days and Sleepless Nights: A Century or So With The Albion Fire Department. The title’s longer than the book.”

            But it describes the thing perfectly. Besides, long subtitles are in, they’re cool. They’re still cool, right?

            “Keep telling yourself that. So, you’ve got a book about history. Only it’s not about big, fun history stuff, like wars, or moonshine, or baseball. It’s about a little town in Indiana. What’s in it for me?”           

( Nothing’s in it for you. You haven’t read anything longer than a cereal box since I’ve known you, and you don’t usually finish those. But it covers firefighting, and small town life, and of course history, and some people like that stuff. )