This is the first part of a two part interview
Sara Voorhees is a syndicated film critic with vast experience and knowledge about movies. So it's probably no surprise that The Lumiere Affair: A Novel of Cannes, her first novel, has a character who is a movie critic.
The protagonist, Natalia Conway, has quit her job as a film critic to try to write more meaningful stories. But money gets too tight to mention and her old boss is begging her to come back to cover the Cannes Film Festival.
The book is engaging and engrossing and I'll say more about the book in the second part of the interview, which will be published about one week from today. The book comes out May 8th.
Scott Butki: How did you come to write this book?
Sara Voorhees: A few years ago, after an interview with Tom Hanks, when the cameras were off, he told me what he’d learned over the years about the interview process. He said that my job was to get him to tell me things he’d never told anyone before; his job was to make me feel like I’d done it. He was dead right.
That was when I decided to write about the relationship between the press and celebrities. It’s an uneasy symbiosis - there’s an artifice to all celebrity interviews that is awkward, and both the press and the celebrities feel it, but it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, so it’s here to stay. And we’re living in the most celebrity-saturated culture in history - who doesn’t want to hear Halle Berry talk about how giraffes sweat at the end of their noses? I’m a big supporter of Media Literacy. I believe the more we know about what’s happening behind the curtains in the media, the better off we are.
Do you plan to write other novels?
Absolutely. I’m working on a new one that has nothing to do with movies. But I don’t think Nattie’s story is finished. I’d like to tell that one.
How are you different from the protagonist?
I did not grow up motherless, as Nattie did. I was raised by a wonderful, loving mother, and that relationship has given me a degree of confidence and courage that Nattie doesn’t have. She is so afraid of people, she’s spent her whole life hiding from relationships with them. I’m crazy about people.
How are you similar?
I’m a journalist, and I’m part of the publicity machine that Nattie is drawn to and yet confounded by. I find comfort and meaning in movies, as she does. We’re both pretty thin-skinned, but I bounce right back. She doesn’t.
Your bio says you interviewed "every major Hollywood celebrity."
That sounds pretty grandiose, doesn’t it? I never talked to Jack Nicholson.
Article comments
1 - Gordon L Hauptfleisch
Highly entertaining and enjoyable interview, Scott. Looking forward to Part Two.
2 - Scott Butki
Thanks, Gordon
3 - Scott Butki
And we STILL need to get the answer to the giraffe question.
4 - Lizbeth Hanson
What a great interview! She is really interesting and fun... you ask great questions (and you two seem to have a good repartee)... you should have her as a regular guest or something! (Just discovered your column because this was posted on Digg and have an idea for you: It might be cool to have a picture of the people you interview, in addition to their book cover, if that's possible.) I'm looking forward to reading the second part next week!
5 - Scott Butki
Thanks for the compliment.
I figure we get the book cover via the Amazon ad.
I'd be up for adding a photo of the person interviewed, especially if the editors agree that is a good idea.
Meanwhile we have an update on the giraffe issue, namely this article.
I'm going to email the person quoted and ask him to come quick.
6 - Scott Butki
I may have just proven Halle Berry wrong.
According to The Living Desert Web site,
"Giraffes are water efficient because they do not sweat or pant."
7 - Ally from Orlando
When is the next part of this interview being posted? It is very interesting.
8 - Scott Butki
Within the next week.
I am glad you liked it.
9 - Scott Butki
I'm writing about part 2 tonite. It should be published within the next 24 hours if all goes right.
10 - Scott Butki
The first part has been published here.
11 - Wes
Cool insider's view on celebrities and the interview process. Quick correction: In your last posting, I think you meant the second part (not first part). I only point that out because I was looking for the second part and couldn't find where it was posted... others may have a similar difficulty. Thanks for the interesting interviews.
12 - Scott Butki
You're welcome. Thanks for the correction.