The Boyfriend List Part 2

I promised you a q&a from E. Lockhart about her book "The Boyfriend List" which I'm promoting today as part of the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit. So here you go! :-)

1) What do you believe is the most important thing to keep in mind when writing for teens?

I don't really keep anything in mind. I write as honestly as I can and I try to be funny -- but I'd do that for any audience. I suppose I attempt to keep the language clean enough so the book won't be banned in school libraries. But that said, Fly on the Wall (my next book) takes place entirely inside a boys' locker room -- and how clean can the language be in there? Not very. I used a lot of goofy euphemisms. Gherkin. Tinkerbell. You can figure out what they mean. But they also swear a blue streak now and then. It comes out in January.

2) The footnote concept is really cool and a very original idea for a novel - how did you come up with that?

I'm sad to say, it's unoriginal. I lifted it from/am imitating shamelessly/am paying homage to the work of David Foster Wallace, grand poohbah of the footnote.They were tremendous fun to write, though.

3) Did you make a "boyfriend list" when you were in high school?

Sure. Didn't we all? Unlike Ruby's in The Boyfriend List, though, mine was private. No one found out about it, or xeroxed it, or told everyone I was a giant slut.

4) If you had to make an imaginary celebrity boyfriend list, who would it include?

1) Ben Chaplin. From The Truth About Cats and Dogs. I'm a sucker for dark eyes and a British accent.

2) Taye Diggs. It's the voice, I think. Do you remember in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, where he said "are you paying attention?" So sexy.

3) Hugh Grant. I forgive him everything.

4) Johnny Depp. Need I say more?

5) Gene Kelly (way back when). I love a man who can move.

6) Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. In Velvet Goldmine. I like femme-y men. I do. And he was cute in Bend it Like Beckham, too.

7) Dan Zanes. He lives in my neighborhood and radiates sex appeal from a block away.

----

Hmm... that kind of inspires me to write my own unofficial Marianne Celebrity Boyfriend List... So here goes:

1) David Bowie - loved him since seeing Labyrinth as a kid - those tights! Growl!

2) Jude Law - Perfect English perfection.

3) Ewan McGregor - Okay I'm starting to see a pattern here, though at least he's Scottish...

4) Johnny Depp - had to throw in a yank :-)

5) Chad Michael Murray - another yank - for the teeny bopper YA writer in me

6) Michael Owen - amazing British footballer... okay yes, so I'm back to the Brits, sue me.

7) James Marsters - (Spike on Buffy) - He's not really a Brit, he just plays one on TV.

8) Paul Banks - lead singer of Interpol (a wonderful, wonderful band out of NYC that I am
somewhat obsessed with)

9) Ethan Hawke - loved him since I was a teen watching Dead Poet's Society, but he really rocked my world in "Reality Bites."

10) Brad Pitt - well, he has to be on everyone's list, right?

Hey - that was kind of fun! :-) Sooo.. who would be on YOUR celebrity boyfriend list??
Mar