Writer and cynic Neal Pollack (no, not that Neal Pollack, the cool Neal Pollack) has granted an interview, wherein he takes on the blogdom and its purpose. He discusses himself and some of the madness that goes into his writing and self-promotion.

Excellent insight into an insider/outsider bloggers view on this medium.

Check out Neal's latest book, The Neal Pollack Antholog of American Literature.

Unlike the rest of the free world, until recently I was hopelessly unaware of the existence of Neal Pollack. The name rang some distant bell in the back of my cluttered mind, something on NPR I think, but for the most part I had no clue. Then my buddy Weisblott, who has his thumb on all things cool, sent me a link to the SELF PROCLAIMED "GREATEST LIVING AMERICAN WRITER" and said "Dawn, this is a guy you need to watch."

I looked at Neal's "weblog" and sensed he was full of himself and an arrogant ass. So of course, I was immediately intrigued and oddly fascinated. I decided to email him about his naked picture on the couch and made some vague reference to mine being better to which he responded in male egocentric fashion. That was that. Jerk factor established. Again, I still liked him, but there are so many jerks in my life - did I have room for another? Maybe.

Neal is multi-faceted guy with a number of irons in the fire. He is a musical front man doing rock poet performance art; he is a self-promoting machine and an amazing writer. And heaven help us, for now he has turned his gaze to the blogdom. I for one think this is the best thing that could happen to the most "UNDER APPRECIATED AND FASTEST GROWING" medium out there. Whatever you may think about Neal - know this - he is all he says he is and MORE.

Neal Pollack: Let the interview begin.

Dawn: Ah Ha!

Neal Pollack: Show me what you got.

Dawn: Okay I was reading your piece for McSweeney's and I loved the one on Russian babes for sale - what inspired you?

Neal Pollack: There was a rash of articles two or three years ago about Russian mail-order brides. It became a clichéd subject for glossy magazines and weekend supplements. Everyone had to do a pathetic businessman going to Russia to get laid story. So this is my contribution to the genre.

Neal Pollack: Only my twist is that the businessman can only get laid by pretending that he's Michael Chabon.

Dawn: Well I loved it. McSweeneys is very irreverent; do you feel that describes you as well?

Neal Pollack: Irrelevant, maybe

Dawn: So when did you decide that you were the Greatest Living American Writer - I assume that was self-proclaimed right?

page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5