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7-Imp Eisha
April 9, 2008

Jules: Has blogging about books changed your reading habits? 

eisha: Sure has. I think I read with a more critical eye now, but also a more open mind. I'm not just thinking about whether I personally like a book, but whether others would like it too, and who they might be. Also, just being involved in the book blogging community has changed the way I choose what I'm going to read. I hear about books from other bloggers, or I get involved in things like the Cybils, or I get an offer for ARCs from an author or publisher, and end up reading books that I might never have encountered as a casual reader. 

Jules: What do you love about blogging? 

eisha: The community. We're awfully lucky to have fallen in with such an interesting and supportive bunch of people. I've made some really good friends, thanks to the blog. 

Jules: Anything you dislike about blogging? 

eisha: That sometimes my favorite pastime -- reading -- becomes a chore. That sometimes what is meant to be "just for fun" turns into work -- hard work, without monetary compensation. That sometimes, despite the whole idea of blogging being an independent and anarchic endeavor, we often seem to get bundled up in group efforts with a lot of rules and deadlines. There are payoffs to all of these things, don't get me wrong, and in general they're lots of fun. But sometimes I admit I get a little sad about it, and kind of miss being able to write about any book I want, any day of the week, you know? 

Jules: Has anyone we’ve interviewed ever answered any Pivot question in such a way that really struck you? 

eisha: Tricky. There have been so many good answers, both touching and hilarious. M.T. Anderson's answer to the question "What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?" was one of my favorites: "This is a tough one, because I have no skills. I think, in season, I could be the back half of a dragon at Spooky World." 

Jules: Name your all-time favorite interview thus far at 7-Imp. 

eisha: Again, SO MANY good interviewees, we’ve been crazy lucky that way. But the one that probably had the deepest emotional impact on me was Haven Kimmel, just because we're both such fans and I think she was one of the first published authors we'd ever convinced to talk to us. I’d revered her for years. It was sort of mind-blowing, that someone who'd been on the NYT best-seller list would slum with us. 

Jules: Was my head wriggly when you and M.T. Anderson had to balance it in your hands for that interview photo? 

eisha: Nah. Kind of drippy, though. The library maintenance folks weren't real happy with me for that one. 

Jules: What’s your favorite current trend in children’s lit? And biggest gripe? 

eisha: My favorite current trend is the illustrated novel. I love that more and more middle grade and YA novels are incorporating heavy amounts of illustrations to support the story, bending the genre lines between straight novels, picture books, and graphic novels. My current gripe is that often books are being published as a part of a multimedia package -- with an elaborate website, video game, line of action figures, etc., released at the same time. The idea is cool, and I'm not at all opposed to multimedia enhancements to a story. But I worry about priorities in the publishing industry. I read a novel recently (still deciding whether or not to review it) that was just so obviously written to go along with a video game; and I felt like the idea behind it was imaginative, but the writing was a bit shoddy. Whether it was because the novel was only one part of the whole package, and maybe not the most "important" part money-wise, so it didn't get the full editorial attention it needed -- or if it was just because the writers weren't that good to begin with -- is impossible for me to say. But it makes you think. 

Jules: Is there a new blog you can’t live without, one that’s come about since we started blogging? 

eisha: It's not new or book-related, but I've become a Go Fug Yourself addict. Thanks, Jules. 

Jules: What’s your favorite thing that we do at 7-Imp -- your favorite feature, in other words, of all our features? 

eisha: I love profiling illustrators, especially up-and-coming ones. That was your idea, genius, and I love it. 

Jules: How’d you get to be so awesome? * 

eisha: It's kind of a weird story. I went skydiving with my cyborg-boyfriend, but my parachute malfunctioned and I crashed. These scientist friends of his rebuilt me with these wicked fast robot legs; a super-strong robot arm; and really, really good hearing in one of my ears. Oh, but I had to go to work for this top-secret government agency, 'cause they paid for it and all. Also, every time my boyfriend tried to make out with me I'd get headaches, which kind of sucks. But whatever, I can run freaky-fast and in slow motion at the same time, so I guess it’s cool. 

Jules: I remember you and your husband joking once about each of you having a “Celebrities We’re Allowed to Cheat With” list. Any authors or illustrators you’d add to that list? 

eisha: See, now, that's dangerous, 'cause of course there are some, but we've either already interviewed them, or might potentially interview them someday. Awkward. And actually, for all I know Luke Wilson might write a book someday, and then we'd interview him too, so my celebrity list is off-limits too. I'll just pass. 

Jules: What do you want to be doing ten years from now? Will you still be blogging then? Or in twenty years? (how about we call it “Seven Impossible Arthritis Pains Before Breakfast” then?) 

eisha: For serious! I'm already feeling it. Is Blogger Shoulder a diagnosable ailment yet? Anyway, I'd like to be working in an academic library, I think I'd like to still be living in Ithaca, and I hope we're still blogging. By then, though, we'll probably just have modems implanted in our heads like in Feed, so yay! No more typing! 

Jules: Do you ever wish you were just blogging alone and not co-blogging with your nerdy friend who often suffers from logorrhea? 

eisha: Are you kidding? No! Can you imagine how pathetic this blog would be if it were just me, Ms. Procrastinator-Pants? 

Jules: When’s the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt? 

eisha: A couple of hours ago. My husband and I were starting to make dinner, and he glanced over at my book pile and said, totally deadpan, "Hey, did I ever tell you what my nickname in fourth grade was? A Great and Terrible Beauty. I know, weird, huh? Especially the 'A'. Like, 'Hey, what's up, A Great and Terrible Beauty?'" You probably had to be there. * * * * * * * 

{* The how’d-you-get-to-be-so-awesome question came about after we asked it of Adam Rex, and his response made Jules laugh so hard for about fifteen minutes straight that she thought she might throw up. Consequently, it's rather become a 7-Imp inside joke.}

Posted by Diane Chen on April 9, 2008 | Comments (3)