the ten questions project: tiffanie debartolo
*1. what music (or other art form) inspires you when you create your art?
Music. Music. Music. Nothing stirs my insides and makes me feel alive like a good song, and I feel creative when I feel alive.
*2. long distance road trip: what three people do you invite along (fictionalor non-fictional, dead or alive)?
I love road trips. I’m going to rent a van so that I can bring more than three people. My caravan would include Bono, Joe Strummer, Martin Luther King, Howard Roark, Jeff Buckley, and Seymour Glass.
*3. what is your favorite breakfast cereal?
Frosted Flakes.
*4. what is one thing that is hanging on your bedroom wall?
A Matthew Heller painting.
*5. what smell/scent evokes strong memories for you?
Suffice it to say that when I close my eyes and concentrate on people I have loved, I can smell them as if they are standing in front of me.
*6. coffee or tea?
I heart coffee.
*7. what has been the most impactful compliment, or criticism, you have ever received?
Tim O’Brien once told me that I was a great writer, and it changed the course of my life.
*8. three words that describe you?
Complicated. Vulnerable. Sparkly.
*9. cartoon character crush: who is, or was, yours?
Batman. I like the idea that a hero can be a man with nothing but extraordinary will, conviction, and ingenuity on his side, as opposed to someone born with super powers. And, all the black clothes were sexy.
*10. the world is ending in ten minutes and you get to listen to one, and only one, song: which song?
It kind of depends on why the world is ending, but if I’m about to die, I’m definitely going to need U2 to escort me out of this world. To me, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is a song about looking for faith in the face of despair, so that would probably be apposite.
***
a friend of mine once loaned me a book that i would later credit for being pages that saved my life, and that made me feel less alone in this world. there is not a single person who knows me who does not know what her books mean to me, or how i recommend them incessantly. tiffanie's books are the perfect blend of music and humanity; it is as if music was walking down the street and ran smack into the most beautifully flawed person, and the two of them laughed together at being so clumsy, and ducked into the nearest coffee shop, already holding hands because it already made sense that they were together. perhaps that makes sense to you, or maybe it is just my skewed perception of the world. all i know is i get her books deep inside of me, and it feels like they get me right back.
beyond being an amazing author, tiffanie also penned and directed the keen film dream for an insomniac. if you have not seen it before, i suggest you put it on your queue, or pick up a copy. you can watch it after you finish her two books (and hopefully three soon). tiffanie is also kind and down to earth, and incredibly genuine; and, she has amazing taste in music.
and do not miss taking a listen to one of her favorite bands: ours
i would like to thank tiffanie for participating in the keep art alive: ten questions project, and for being inspirational to my life, and my writing.
go now go and check out more her books, her film, and buy something if you can. keep art alive and show your support.
