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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2008 > November > 13 > Entry
some writers are jerks…
Over the years I have made the observation that most people are generally decent. Then, there are the jerks. 99 out of 100 people that I meet seem to be just fine. That 1% jerk ratio gets a bit overblown because when you meet a truly annoying jerk they tend to bump up the perceived jerk ratio to an expanded 5% or even 10%.
Writers are just like us - 99 out of 100 are OK by me. I have met quite a few writers and almost all of them were just fine. In fact, I’m amazed at how many really famous authors are totally cool. Down to earth. Humble. With finely honed sensibilities. Humor. Grace. Charm.
Then there are the jerks. As you might expect, some of them are really famous. I have interviewed a lot of writers. First impressions are often accurate. If a person comes off as a jerk straight off, they often really are.
I’m not going to name the jerks but if you look at the best-sellers there are usually a few of them at the top of the charts. I rarely give jerks a second chance but there are always exceptions to that rule.
Take Deepak Chopra for instance. I have interviewed him a number of times. Initially, I didn’t like him. He wasn’t exactly a jerk but he seemed to be running on automatic pilot most of the time. I would ask him a question and his responses always seemed to unspool from some gigantic pre-recorded message box in that cosmic brain of his. There was no spontaneity.
So I kept trying. About the 4th time I interviewed him he came into the radio studio and there was something different about him. He was exhausted. And he was genuine. He started complaining about various people and things. I couldn’t believe it! I liked him from that moment on. He was real. I had never seen that in him before.
So people change. Sometimes those changes are not for the best. There’s a really famous author who I have interviewed several times. I met him when he toured for his first book. He was an unknown. The book did very well for him. He was so humble. A really nice guy.
The next time I saw him he had become a huge success. It changed him. His ego was swollen. He was completely full of himself. I was appalled. He keeps putting out books that go straight to #1. His publicist used to call me to try to book interviews. I would decline them. I wasn’t interested in seeing how immense his ego has gotten. The other day I saw an article about him in the newspaper. He is doing some philanthropic things. I was pleased to learn that - but in my book, he’s still a jerk.
Pat Conroy is a sweetheart. Sue Grafton is amazing. Robert Crais is a gem. Lisa Scottoline is a living doll. Clive Barker is a charmer. Wally Lamb is Mr. Mellow.
Then there are the jerks. Not that many. Usually guys. I ignore them. The memory of their scowls and unpleasantness are enough for me. I see them every year on the best-seller lists. Such arrogant jerks…I’ll never forget this one fellow. I was interviewing him on the radio. I asked him a question. He looked at me and demanded to know…”what are you, an idiot?”
Later, I complained about him to his publicist. She said, “oh yeah, he’s got some anger issues.” What a jerk.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Comments
By vick
November 23, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
I used to be mistaken for Red Skelton. Now that he is dead it has stopped.By lmj
November 21, 2008 12:26 AM | Link to this
Connie Moore. Her column has been in the DDN a few times.By vick
November 20, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
OK, LMJ - I’ll bite. Do they think that you are Barbara Kingsolver?? Do tell…By lmj
November 19, 2008 11:22 PM | Link to this
Vick, I was mis-recognized for the first time this week - not as good looking as Philip Seymour Hoffman, but I found it incredibly amusing. I went to see Sherman Alexie at Wittenberg Monday. While waiting to talk to Mr. Alexie, the faculty member who had introduced him, got my my attention, pantomimed “do you write?” I nodded. she mouthed where she had seen my writing. I nodded. After I asked Mr. Alexie my question, I went to the faculty member who’s first words out loud were, “You’re one of the few who look like their picture.” I chuckled dismay then she continued about how I write so lyrically about nature. I knew I was misidentified and said so. “I don’t write about nature.” The professor insisted that I do. I wasn’t sure how to react to the fact that I’m mistaken about what I write, but realized who I was being confused for. Fortunately the friend I came with backed me up and only then did the woman back down. But then again, maybe I was mistaken as appealingly as Philip Seymour Hoffman.By John676
November 17, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
Very nice site!By vick
November 16, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this
Hmm…doctors, lawyers, successful writers?? I hate to think that attaining some level of affluence might also raise the jerkiness level of some individuals? Arrogance is one form of jerkiness. I’m sure that anybody who has ever waited tables in a fancy restaurant might be able to offer some insights. On the other hand, I know some very wealthy people who are generous and nice - not jerks. And I know some poverty dwellers who are…By reader 145930
November 16, 2008 6:28 PM | Link to this
Not just writers but jerks are among us in most professions. I have an administation job in a lawyers’ office. Before that, I worked as a bank teller in the same office building as the lawyers. I think the percentage of lawyer jerks is higher than writers. Do you think pressure or stress is a unifying factor? Doctors are even bigger jerks. I write as well. Is jerkiness an occupational hazard? I hope not!By vick
November 16, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Not again. I was at a party recently when a woman I have never met before said: “You look like that actor, what’s his name?” Another person chimed right in with: “Yeah, he looks just like Philip Seymour Hoffman.” So Phillip, wherever you are, one of us owes the other one an apology….By Pedro
November 16, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
What’s Phillip Seymour Hoffman doing writing about books for the DDN?By Raoul
November 16, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Thanks Vic. I will try not be in such a rush to become a jerk, although I am sure some might have me in that category already. I have a novella, I guess, with some chapters. It’s about the nature of the men who fought the Civil War, why they did, etc. I haveit in a Word document, so I am not sure if it’s in the most readable format. But if you say the word, I am not embarrased to get your reaction. Let me know, and keep up the interesing dialogue with your readers.By vick
November 14, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Have you ever noticed how some jerks search the internet to find out who is talking about them? Believe me, they do. And their publishers distribute lots of other stuff by authors who write great books that I might want to review. Therefore, printing their names would be quite stupid. Also, it might shock you but one such best selling author who I think is pretty precious wrote me recently about one of my blog posts. He wasn’t amused. Amazing, but true. One never knows who is reading this. I would prefer to have the jerks check it it out and wonder, gee, is he talking about me here? Much more fun-much less stupid.By ohio ex patriate
November 14, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
Would have made for a better blog had you had the fortitude to name some of those of which you allude. Those who truly are the “jerks” as you put it either A)Would never in a milion years read this blog or B)WOuld never in a million years read this blog. Name names!By vick
November 14, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Gee Whiz, Laura. That word got past the censors! OK, let me say this: I am giving the benefit of the doubt to some of these authors. Book tours can be stressful and very tiresome. Probably one of their greatest annoyances is being interviewed by a lot of media types who have not respected them enough to even page through their books before doing interviews. Maybe some of my jerky guests are actually wonderful people. Here’s one clue: the guy who called me “an idiot” wears an eye patch. That eliminates 99.9% of your suspects…By Laura
November 14, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this
OK, Vick - I hate the tease. If you name the nice guys, you should name the jerks! Or not … I do understand, but it’s so much fun to read about behind-the-scenes assholery!!! DISH, damn you!By edo
November 14, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this
Someone smarter than me once said “Money doesn’t change your character, it reveals it.”… always good to hear about the nice people… the producer for Imus calls Bob Schieffer “the nicest man in the news business.” … Jim Rome says about the golfer John Cook “the nicest man in all of sports”… someday maybe you’ll get such an acolade, or at least some lemonade.By vick
November 14, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
Raoul, I think you have to do the work THEN become a jerk after you have made it big. Humility is a key virtue in an unknown writer. I get lots of requests to look at manuscripts. What exactly do you have? Chapters? A whole book? I might consider a look…By Raoul
November 14, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
Vic, I am an aspiring writer, mostly interested in American history, particularly the Civil War. You probably get this a lot, but would you have any interest in reading some of my stuff and giving me a critique? You never know when you might have to find other sources of income, so I thought I would give it a try. And no, as of right now, I am not a jerk, but I am willing to try that too if it helps.