Interview with Allison Hawn, author of Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus

A very happy Saturday afternoon to readers and writers.
Let me share some thoughts and opinions with you. Hey, its my site and so I'm allowed!
In my very humble opinion, visual comedy is usually much more effective than written comedy. Watching somebody fall over is much funnier than writing about it (okay, I confess I like watching people fall over so long as I know they aren't hurt). Often it is not what is said that is funny but how it is said. They (and I do always wonder who 'they' is) say a painting speaks a thousand words (is that the right number?) and I think this may be right when it comes to humour.
Writing comedy is really hard, believe me. Reading bad comedy is even harder, believe me. Often the only person laughing is the author. Humour is incredibly subjective. And I'm a really grumpy critique of humour. Which is why, when I found myself laughing out loud (yes, literally a LOL) reading Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus, written by Allison Hawn, I knew I'd found a gem.
You know when something really funny happens and you excitedly try and tell your friends all about it, only for it to fall on death ears (and you really hate your friends when they don't laugh, don't you)? When you're forced to deliver the immortal line 'you had to be there for it to be funny?' Well, Allison doesn't experience this. Not one bit. Yes, she has the most incredibly bizarre and wonderfully weird experiences you could ever imagine. But then, and this is the really crucial part, she has the ability to deliver these stories to you in a unique and individual way, that will leave you laughing more than if you really were there.
And so, I am delighted to introduce you to the very talented Allison Hawn....


Hi Allison. Could you please tell our readers what your book Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus all about?

Imagine that on your way to work you are accosted by a troupe of dancing clowns who manage to block your car for nearly ten minutes. You sit there contemplating how much trouble you would get in for running them over as you eye the dashboard clock. Upon your late arrival at work your boss meets you and demands to know why you're late. You sigh deeply and say, "Dancing clowns."
Your boss nods and says, "Oh, well, carry on," accepting your explanation completely, no reprimand necessary.
This is my life. I have been called a "magnet for the bizarre" and "broken in the most fun ways" by so many people that I have lost track. Anyone who spends even a little time around me ends up just like my ex-boss, watching me straggle in having just survived some unbelievably strange event and wondering, "Oh no, did she get attacked by another six-foot-long iguana who wanted her pizza?"
After years of my friends and family telling me that I had to start writing about the indescribably weird things that happen to me on a daily basis, I caved and wrote a collection of true, bizarre stories called "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus!"

At what point when all these wacky events were occurring did you think ‘I know what; that would make a hilarious story in a book?'

I'm not sure if there is really one crucial turning point. I come from a family that has a very rich oral-story-telling tradition, and so I started verbally telling my stories to people. I think the point when I realized that I should absolutely start writing this book came when one of my stories, which is actually included in my book, made someone laugh so hard they threw up.
It was at that moment that I agreed with what people had been telling me for years, that I should write. It's like if my life is so funny and strange that the human digestive system is no match for it, who am I to deny that it shouldn’t be shared with the world?

How did you ever think of that title?

The title was actually an accident. I have the worst time starting anything. This is explains why I have a ridiculous amount of things like pipe-cleaners, glue and clay, but absolutely no finished, Pinterest inspired, pieces of art to show for them. In college, when I was writing papers on a deadline, I would just throw a makeshift title on the page and start in on the meat of my paper. Then I would return and write a nice, coherent intro and title it something appropriate.
This is exactly what I did for my book, except, I forgot the part where I was supposed to go back and change the title. Luckily, my publisher ended up loving it and so my book became "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus."
>Would you say you are a magnet for weird and wonderful people?
I think that is accurate, though not always co-occurring. Sometimes I meet weird people, sometimes I meet wonderful people and sometimes I meet people who embody both. Oftentimes my best friends are those who mix their weird with a complimentary helping of wonderful, though.

So what makes you laugh?

Almost everything, barring the truly terrible stuff of course. I long ago learned that you can view life in two ways: 1. As if everything is a bother. 2. As if everything is an adventure. Part of being on those adventures is being able to take a step back and look at a situation for what it truly is, and oftentimes situations can be truly hilarious.
Sure, at the time I am being attacked by a three-legged chinchilla things might be a bit bleak, but after a week, and the bite marks have mostly healed, I can see the humour in it.

You have lived all over America. Where did you get your most wacky material?

I'm not sure if any one place wins the gold medal in the "Crazy Olympics." I got to see the Promise Keepers (super religious men's organization) compete with a Grateful Dead concert in Eugene, Oregon. I viewed redneck parades in Atlanta, Georgia. I was chased by an elk in Anchorage, Alaska. I was tackled by a man dressed as Sailor Moon in Boise, Idaho. At this point, it doesn't matter where I go "wacky material" just hunts me down like a tiger going after a limbless shrew.

I understand you have a degree in psychology? Do you think this has influenced your outlook on people?

Insofar as I have better names than “bat-crap-insane” and “hot mess” with which to understand some people around me, yes. My outlook on people, though, has mostly been shaped by my experiences (good and bad), the realization that, as humans, we all have our own special quirks and the writings of Erving Goffman.

You had a weekly humour column with a local paper. How did you get that gig and what was your column all about?

I got that gig by being a staff sports and entertainment writer (which brought its own challenges) at a time when there was an opening for a weekly columnist. I pitched my column idea, appropriately called “Wandering in Wonderland,” and it was picked up.
The both wonderful and terrible thing about writing that column was that I was given total and complete free reign. Like a velociraptor on crack on a street lined with butcher shops, I was unleashed on an unwitting public. For two years, at which point I moved away, I wrote about anything and everything that popped into my skull on a weekly basis. Some weeks were brilliant, others were acts of pure deadline-meeting desperation, but it was an excellent experience.

Your one-liners are hilarious! Is this a natural talent or is it something you have consciously worked on?

The ability to develop one-liners really came from being tired of always having staircase wit. For those not familiar with staircase wit, it's when someone says something snarky or rude, and fifteen minutes later, as you're leaving down the back staircase, you suddenly think of the perfect comeback.
I was never a popular kid. I was loud, not built like a super-model, dangerously intelligent for my age and had a tendency to act like a velociraptor when I felt like it. So I was teased a lot. Shocking, I know. By the time I hit high school I had a black-belt in witty comebacks and a penchant for strange metaphors that I used to confuse my more persistent persecutors. I guess all of that just carried over into my writing.

Have you written any fiction?

I have, in fact. I wrote three full novels when I was in high school, none of which I expect will see the light of day. When you’re in high school you think everything you write is brilliant. The benefit of aging and gaining more experience is that you can honestly look at your writing and say, “Holy Awful Dialogue Batman!” and move on. Those first three novels were excellent practice and experience for me, though.
Now that I’m post-college and have a slightly firmer grasp on writing conventions, I am working on a science fiction novel that feels like it is progressing much better (according to my writing buddies) than my previous three attempts.

What are you currently writing and what are your writing aspirations?

Oh, I have my fingers in lots of writing pies right now, which means that basically what I have is a sticky mess and a whole bunch of people wondering how this is going to pan out into being productive.
I am working on a follow-up book to “Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus” which I hope will be released sometime this year. I am also working on a science-fiction novel as I previously mentioned and a memoir about my time spent working with homeless and at-risk youth as a street-based social worker. And then whatever else pops into my head in between now and death will become a project as well.

I understand you have a website. Could you please tell us what it’s all about?

Why of course! I currently write a blog called “Normally Surreal” (http://circusplatypus.blogspot.com/) that basically took up from where my newspaper column career left off. I write random musings and rants, I interview other authors and let people know about other fun bizarre experiences that I have recently survived. I also occasionally have contests, like the one that I have going right now in which someone will win a signed copy of “Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus!”

So where can we buy your book and where can readers find out more about you?

My book is available at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Circus-Platypus-Allison-Hawn/dp/0615810950
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-is-a-circus-run-by-a-platypus-allison-hawn/1115658836?ean=9780615810959
And from Sweatshoppe Publications’ (my publishers) website: http://sweatshoppemedia.com/bookstore.html

If you would like to find out more about me check out:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/platypusringmaster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllisonHawn (@AllisonHawn)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085837.Allison_Hawn
My blog: http://circusplatypus.blogspot.com/

And of course you can always read my book! You will find out way more about me in there, I promise! 

Book Feature/Review - Agency Rules Never an Easy Day in the Office: Khalid Muhammad

I have a confession. No, not that one. I am saving that one for a better time.
I confess that Agency Rules - Never an Easy Day in the Office is not my usual genre of book. A political spy thriller set in Pakistan? Far too complex and pacey. But that is the point. I am trying to stretch my usual boundaries and learn at the same time. And with this book by Khalid Muhammad, I am glad that I did.
Set in modern day Pakistan, our hero, Khamal Khan, goes undercover in response to a terror attack in Karachi. The politicians, army and spy agency all have motives that are in conflict with each other, and it is left to the 'little man' to take action. And take action he does! Khamal transforms from a 'standard soldier' (if there is such a thing) to a top sniper and ruthless interrogator. 
The writing is fast and the story interlinks with several side-plots. Khalid demonstrates excellent knowledge of the political history of Pakistan with his intrinsic attention to detail. There is a whole spectrum of characters, from politicians to gang members, Sheikhs and terrorists, and although at first I found it difficult to keep on top of the names, I suspect this was more my fault than that of the book. Khamal is an interesting hero. Yes, he meets all the usual action-hero characteristics. Tick. Tick. But he also has a sensitive side that draws you in. He is human rather than robot, which is refreshing for this genre. 
Khalid writes with obvious passion and pride for his subject-matter. Agency Rules is a great action spy thriller. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy reading the book, but I learnt a great deal, too, particularly about the real, rather than stereo-typed, Pakistan.
You can find out a whole lot more about Agency Rules - Never an Easy Day in the Office at
www.agencyrules.com

 

Nesting

Happy Easter Sunday!
Its a fact. I have read it in a book, and so it must be true. A few weeks before a pregnant lady is due to give birth (maybe 'pregnant' is unnecessary here as I guess you aren't going to give birth unless you are pregnant, but hey-ho, bore off) her natural 'nesting' instinct develops. Similar to a whole host of animals in the animal kingdom, she has an overwhelming desire and compulsion to create a perfect environment in which to deliver her newborn into the world. Which equates to a deep clean of the house.
All of this makes perfect sense. Apart from one bit. When a lady is 8 months pregnant she should not be lifting or exercising too rigorously, and she is advised to keep away from products containing bleach.
Which means I've been busy cleaning the house while my wife delivers instructions from the comfort of her sofa.
I'd better go clean that oven, then!!!