Leanna Conley is the author of the new book The Daily Janet, written with Dave Smitherman. The book is about her mother. A writer and performer, Conley has appeared on the Syfy Channel, Comedy Central, and other venues.
Q:
Why did you decide to write about a book about your mother, and how did you
pick the book's title?
A:
I wrote the book because of the overwhelming amount of funny stories there are
about my mom, Janet...and the title is because every day there's something
hilarious coming from her. Plus, this is my way of handling the good
and stressful about dealing with an elderly, willful parent as a
baby boomer.
Q:
How involved was she in the book's creation, and what does she think of it?
A:
While she has total veto power over anything she doesn’t want in the book,
it’s mainly my recollections of her...other than the fact she supplies the
material! What does she think of it? First reaction was, “You could do
better.” - LOL! But she does like it - especially the fashion portions and
chapter about her childhood sweetheart, David.
Q:
How influential has she been in your life, and how would you describe the
dynamic between the two of you?
A:
My mom, Janet, has been very influential. I get my strengths from her, and she
also acts as a cheerleader for me. But her diva perfectionism is difficult, not
to mention the embarrassment she sometimes caused.
I
guess our dynamic is a healthy dysfunctional. I’m now the parent to my
little star. Another reason I wrote the book was as a catharsis, and to let the
world know about her as a human being.
Q:
Of the stories you tell about Janet in the book, do you have a particular
favorite?
A:
OMG – there are so many! Well, it’s her flying out of a moving Winnebago in a
cat suit or calling Steve Forbes when he was a presidential candidate to urge
him to get dermabrasion. She calls famous people all the time. I think she also
was invited to the Trump Tower. But my
favorites change daily as they’re always coming!
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
More stories for The Daily Janet website, her YouTube channel,
and pitching the book for TV and film. I have plans for a stand-up comedy
one-person show that includes Janet lore, too.
Q:
Anything else we should know?
A:
I would love to have you visit the website and Facebook page, and order the book online, or ask for it at
your local bookstore.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Loved the book, a delightful little page turner that brought sunshine to a rainy afternoon. That said there are definitely dark moments that color the ride, it's not all fun and games for mother and daughter.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for commenting--I agree!
Delete