Interviews & Essays
On Thursday, February 26, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Veronica Webb, author of VERONICA WEBB-SIGHT.
Moderator from barnesandnoble.com: Welcome, Veronica Webb. Thank you for joining us tonight.
Veronica Webb: I am so sorry for being so late, and thank you all for being here. But everybody gets punted offline.
Amy from Charlotte, NC: Why did you decide to write this book?
Veronica Webb: Well, I always wanted to be a writer, and then I kept journals through my teenage years. When you read the book, a lot of it is about having dreams but not realizing your dreams, and just figuring out things every day in order to make them come true.
Vicky from Long Island, NY: Who are a few of your favorite essayists? What about authors?
Veronica Webb: Favorite essayists I really like Fran Liebowitz and I like Baldwin's essays. In terms of authors, Arthur Golden (author of MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA) and Márquez.
John from NY: Ms. Webb, please give me a reason to hope! Do you or could you go out with just an average guy, like a NYC police officer? I don't have a lot of money, but I am a damn nice guy and am fun to be with. I could tell you a million stories that would make you laugh and laugh....
Veronica Webb: My cousin is a cop and I love cops. But I have a boyfriend that I like very much, and I would get arrested if I continued this conversation....
Jamie from Bryn Mawr, PA: I loved your book. What are a few of your favorite designers to work for?
Veronica Webb: Karl Lagerfeld, Isaac Mizrahi, and Versace.
Rick from West Orange, NJ: What are your future plans for writing and modeling?
Veronica Webb: Well, my future plans for writing are to make sure this book does well. And hopefully, with fans like Rick, it will.... Probably a novel. I just take modeling as it comes -- it is a profession that is hard to plan.
Greg from Newton, MA: Do you still smoke? I just loved that essay on smoking....
Veronica Webb: Unfortunately, I am back on again, and you can look forward to my next essay about quitting.
In Love from East Village, NY: Curious to get your opinion on how the nightlife and city of New York in general has changed from those crazy '80s you write about.
Veronica Webb: It is like a retirement village now.
Matt from Concord, CA: I read the quote that Isaac Mizrahi wrote about the book. Are you still close with Isaac?
Veronica Webb: Yes, very.
Margaret from Dayton, OH: What is your writing schedule like these days? How did you decide which pieces you put in this book? What was that process like?
Veronica Webb: Well, the ones that I loved the most and remember the most and also the ones I got the most feedback on. My writing schedule right now is almost nonexistent, but when I am really crunching and on deadline I usually do 5 to 10am then a break from 10 to 1; then again from 2 to 6pm.
David from Metaire, LA: Veronica, you are the best! What exactly is LIFEbeat?
Veronica Webb: LIFEbeat is a music industry organization that raises money for people who are HIV positive now living with AIDS. I have been on the board for four years now. We have a program called Tour Outreach in which different artists go on tour and answer people's questions about AIDS.
Nicolette from NYC: Hello, Veronica. I thought "Eating Out" was brilliant. Do you ever see yourself leaving NYC? Off the top of your head, what are a few of your favorite restaurants in NYC?
Veronica Webb: Off the top of my head, La Chinita on 9th Avenue is great for take-out; Harry Chapriati and Felix in SoHo.
John from JWC901@aol.com: What do you think of the Internet? Are you online much?
Veronica Webb: Well, I actually do a live chat on AOL every Monday night, and I love the Internet for research.
Blair from Los Angeles, CA: You mentioned living in the same building or neighborhood of a then up-and-coming rap band The Beastie Boys. Are you at all surprised by their tremendous success? Are you tight with them?
Veronica Webb: No, I am not surprised about their success -- they are very talented. I support their Free Tibet concert every year.
Shawn from Wolfeboro, NH: Do you have any future plans for acting?
Veronica Webb: I am in the Miramax movie "Studio 54," due out this spring.
Shelly from Hollywood, FL: Will you be publishing anything in any magazines in the near future?
Veronica Webb: I haven't had a magazine job for a while, but I am thinking about getting something more permanent where I can practice my writing every day.
Stephen from Toronto: How do you feel about facing such a faceless audience? And are you participating by telephone because you're overwhelmed by technology or simply because nobody thought to drop a laptop with modem in your lap for the next hour or so?
Veronica Webb: You know what? It is very nice, because I think people are a lot more open -- and I don't have to get dressed up and do hair and makeup. It is pretty much what you think.
Bud from Detroit: Ever gonna come back home to the wonderful city of Detroit? We currently have the most talented basketball player in the NBA Grant Hill
Veronica Webb: Yeah, I come back all the time -- I have a lot of family there.
Charlie from Houston, TX: Who are some of your favorite contemporary authors?
Veronica Webb: Interesting...I think a lot of the best writing happens in movies.
Nicole from New York, NY: Veronica, with your looks and your brains, I see you hosting a talk show. Any plans for such a show? Maybe something like Lauren Hutton's show?
Veronica Webb: You know, we are shopping around right now -- if you have any ideas, let me know.
Moderator: Thank you, Veronica Webb! Any closing comments?
Veronica Webb: I want to thank everybody for coming online and for reading the book.
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