Question & Answer 

Sample Interview with Author Diana Estill 

Q:        Why did you choose Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road for your book title? 

A:        The book includes a story by the same name, so the idea originated there.  But as I began thinking about the title, I realized that “driving on the wrong side of the road” is more or less a metaphor for how I’ve lived most of my life.  I’ve never pursued a traditional path to anything, including my career, education, or for that matter, family planning. 

Q:        You dropped out of school in the tenth grade and had your first child at age seventeen.  At what point in life did you know you could write, and how did you become an author? 

A:        When I was five, I used to sit at an imaginary desk and pretend I was writing.  I won my first essay award when I was in the eighth grade.  But it wasn’t until I was in college that I considered this talent might have some marketability. 

            Unfortunately, I was then a single mom who needed to support two children.  So I pursued a business degree instead of one in liberal arts.  Several years later, I went back to college to take some creative writing classes.  Then, an instructor told me to get out of school and start doing what I already knew how to do.  And that’s what I did. 

Q:        What was your first published piece? 

A:        It was a journal entry about my oldest son leaving for college.  That essay was published by a small local newspaper.  A few months later, The Dallas Morning News began paying me for my op/eds.   

Q:        How did you make the transition to writing humor? 

A:        Well, that’s funny in and of itself.  No matter what I wrote, silliness or wisecracks or exaggeration seemed to sneak into it.  I’d pen some commentary about pop culture and readers would write and tell me how much my column made them laugh.  Finally, I gave in and started writing humor intentionally because so many were irresponsible enough to encourage me. 

Q:        You’ve been favorably compared to Erma Bombeck.  How would you describe your brand of humor? 

A:        Oh, Erma was in a class all to herself.  I think people compare me to her because she was one of the most well-known female columnists of our time.  Erma wrote about her life as a homemaker and about her family.  What I write is observational humor about everyday foibles, frustrations, and absurdities.  Sometimes the topics center on home and family, but just as often they delve into philosophical and social issues.  I like to ask the tough questions, like Why do men grill? and At what age should a woman quit wearing denim? 

Q:        Okay.  I’ll bite.  Why do men grill? 

A:        Because it’s encoded in their DNA for survival of the species.  During caveman times, roasting fresh kill and creating smoke plumes were the primary way men signaled their desire for love.  Cavewomen watched for signs of fire.  And of course, the guy with the biggest column generally won the girl.  (Laughing) I bet a lot of male journalists wish this would work similarly for them! 

Q:        Much of Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road examines the differences between male and female behaviors.  You poke a lot of fun at your husband in these stories.  How does he feel about you sharing so much of his personal life with your readers? 

A:        I’ve heard him answer this question many times.  He thinks I’m giving him his fifteen minutes of fame and that I’m helping others feel better about their relationships.  He’s my greatest supporter.  And he really is as comedic as I portray him.  Reality TV has nothing on us.  We surpass any household previously tapped for entertainment value. 

Q:        Would you ever consider turning your life or your stories into a sitcom? 

A:        Right now, I’m content with having turned my stories into a book.  But I’m open to pursuing other projects.  I have an unpublished novel that I would like to sell.  

Q:        Is your novel humorous? 

A:        Indirectly, yes.  It’s about an isolated, uneducated and unemployed young woman who’s trying to escape an abusive husband.  Her circumstances aren’t amusing.  But her quirky, off-beat ideas and obsessions, combined with a crazy cast of peripheral characters, make for a zany Springer-fest.  Without these lighter moments, the story would be too tragic to enjoy. 

Q:        Who are some of your favorite authors? 

A:        I love reading anything written by Jane Hamilton, Elizabeth Berg, Anna Quindlen, or Michael Cunningham.  Steinbeck, Emerson and Thoreau all hold space in my personal library.  In the humor genre, I like Dave Barry, David Sedaris, Erma Bombeck and some of the more recent authors like W. Bruce Cameron, Celia Rivenbark and Susan Reinhardt.  

Q:        What author most influenced your decision to become a writer? 

A:        When I was in my early twenties, I remember reading Erma Bombeck’s The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank and saying, “I want to write a book like that.”  And now here I am!  It only took me thirty more years to accomplish this. 

Q:        What would you tell anyone who might want to write a book like yours? 

A:        I’d say, “Go for it!”  The world needs laughter . . . and The Universe is big enough to support another humor writer.  I’d bet my career on this.  In fact, I did.

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Last Updated: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 09:01 PM