Interview with TBF author: Terry Trueman

Hey readers!

If you had a bad day, I hope reading this interview puts a smile to your face.

On January 25th, I sent interview questions to Terry Trueman. I didn't hear anything for about 2 weeks. With Stephanie's permission, I was allowed to give Terry a gentle warning:

...if you don't answer the questions for the interview by Friday, February 15, a hot pink tutu will be added to your TBF mascot uniform...

And Terry didn't respond. I decided to be generous and give him another 2 weeks. Can you guess what happened next?? If you said, "He didn't respond" you are correct! Since I didn't hear anything from Terry, I sent him another email:

I'm very concerned about you. Are you trapped in a desert in Tucson with no water? Or are you in the hospital because you got bitten by a poisonous snake? Please, if you're well and alive, answer the interview questions for the blog and your adoring fans.

 Within 1 hour, I got a response:

Save the tutu. I'm on it.

So here is the belated interview with Terry Trueman:

Miranda Reads:  So, Mr. Terry Trueman, you have been coming to TBF for 8 years now (and we LOVE it!). What makes you come back every year?
Terry Trueman: Actually my friendship with the Godmother of TBF, Stephanie S. is likely the reason I keep being invited back, and in fairness, Stephanie and I kind came up with the idea for TBF back at the very beginning. Her contribution was to do everything that it took to make it a reality. My contribution was to say, "Yeah, good idea . . .you go gurl!"

MR: Since you’ve been attending every TBF event, the TBF Committee has decided to crown you the official TBF mascot. Yay! So now you will have your own uniform (only for Terry Trueman). A little birdie told me that your uniform is a pink leotard with spandex tights. Any comments?
TT: I think that 'uniform' would look really great on . . oh, let's say Barry Lyga or Edward Averett . . .anyone but me.

MR:  At the opening ceremony, you love picking on authors. Out of all the years, what TBF author was your favorite to pick on? Why?
TT: Funny, I don't think of my interactions as 'picking on' other authors and in truth I can't think of any other authors I've ever met at TBF who I didn't really like and enjoy. Todd Strasser and James Kennedy come to mind as worthy adversaries if we insist on defining this as 'picking on' or being 'picked-on'. But so many of my friends have been invited and all the authors I've ever met at TBF feel like friends to me now too.

MR: Are you currently working on a top-secret book? We love your books…and we read ALL of them…
TT: I have felt in the last few years that the books I'm working on at that time were always going to be my last book. As you know LIFE HAPPENS NEXT was released in hardbound last August, and I have another book in to my agent right now. I think it might be my last :). Seriously, though, I'm feeling the pull of wanting to write poems again more strongly than I've felt it for many years and I'm also feeling like I have written about pretty much everything I want to write about in material appropriate for y.a. I want to write poems for adults and y.a. But I don't want to be restricted in terms of language, content, style, etc. so we'll see what comes next.

MR: What author are you most looking forward to meeting (and picking on) at the 8th annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival?
TT: Once again, I don't think I ever 'pick on' any authors; I tease and play with some authors more than others, those who seem to enjoy the teasing as much as I do. I never know who I'm gonna hit it off with best but somehow we always find one another. And to be honest, as much as I LOVE TBF and love my special relationship to it; I'm such an egomaniac that I never really look too closely at who else is coming or not coming year to year . . . if I had my way, I'd be the only author there but I'd be hoisted onto a special chair and carried around like Cleopatra from one place to the next by Laurie H-Anderson, James Kennedy, Roland Smith, Todd Strasser, Alex Flinn. And I'd have Stephanie S. following behind us all, yelling at them once in awhile so they'd remember who's in charge!

MR: I'm looking forward to seeing/meeting you again.
TT: Looking forward to seeing you and and all my beloved TBF peeps too!!!!!

PS:

TT: BTW, back to this 'offical uniform' issue, don't you think that attached pic is painful enough??!!

MR: Hmm...I'll think about it, Terry.