Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A Funny Kind of Literary Lunch Interview

Rosie Blau interviews Jeanette Winterson for FT -- over lunch. With champagne.

Okay, I've read quite a few author interviews in my time. But it's not everyday that the interviewer discloses, at the end of the artcile, the entire contents of their lunch bill. And I'm kind of tickled that Jeanette Winterson asks Rosie Blau to write down her birth date and time, so that Winterson can do her horoscope chart.

These two women had fun doing their jobs.

9 comments:

Carl V. Anderson said...

Whenever I see lunch lists, etc. I think of Dracula and the way Jonathan Harker journaled his meals, etc. on his trip to Dracula's castle.

darkorpheus said...

I remember that -- and how he was always making notes to get the recipes for Mina blah blah blah. Jonathan Harker was an oddball.

Anonymous said...

how to make me follow a link in one easy step!!

winterson's a virgo, isn't she?

dark orpheus, i'm an aries, like you...

darkorpheus said...

Oh yeah. Winterson's birthday is August 27th -- Virgo. Some of my most memorable relationships have been with Virgos.

If you're Aries -- I'm curious. Is Charlotte a Leo? Or another Aries? Or *gasp* a Virgo?

And are you a March Aries or an April Aries? I'm guessing April Aries. They tend to be nicer than March Aries, who are more combative. Okay, maybe that's just me. :)

Some of my colleagues mistook me for a Capricorn for the longest time. I didn't know why until I did my birthchart online. The concept of the Ascendant(?) sign was explained to me -- it's how you appear to people on first impression.

And my Ascendant is a Capricorn. Heh.

Anonymous said...

you've had some memorable virgo relationships! thats impressive. unfortunately my relationships with virgos have followed the stereo-typical aries-virgo pattern...

charlotte is not a virgo, haha! that would kill me (with all respect to virgos. as friends they're fine - but girlfriends, no). she's a libran, but a very fiesty one, which is very cool :)

i'm an april aries, and i'm flattered that you think i'm an april one! i totally agree with you about the march arians. they generally seem to try a lot harder to prove themselves and all, and be more blinkered and selfish. and definitely combatitive - you're right! its like they're baby arians.

capricorn rising! very cool. unless your other aspects interfere it should certainly give you a clearer head and more pragmatism. and capable of tact - something which is foreign to many arians... :)

although, with all that also comes incredibly high standards, so you may not think that you are clear-headed or pragmatic enough! :) but i'm sure you're more so than your average arian.

also, i'd imagine it can help you see the bigger picture better...

although, one thing that'll be frustrating is that if you think you're right THEN YOU THINK YOU'RE RIGHT! haha! and who can blame you, with a capricorn rising and aries sun - you most probably are...

which would, i imagine mean that you simply can't suffer fools...

sorry - a bit of a ramble...

is any of that applicable to you?

i have a gemini rising, by the way.

darkorpheus said...

JP To this question: "is any of that applicable to you?"

Answer: A lot!

I'm definitely a March Aries -- intense, self-centered but tempered with a generosity at time. Blinkered -- oh yes. When I'm charging towards something, GET OUT OF THE WAY.

Maybe it's true. March Aries are like the baby rams who have not grow up. Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard. I have nothing to prove.

I suffer from passion of conviction -- but it has improved over the years. (But when I'm right, I'm usually right ;p)

Right on with don't suffer fools, which is why I often lock horns with my manager. She's Taurus, and I'm Aries -- just imagine us butting heads.

Tact -- it's in short supply. Candour is my Achilles' Heel. But at least my friends knows I mean it when I say it.

But I am blessed with a bit of self-awareness, and yes on big picture(I hope)

Pragmatism -- it's okay. A pragmatic idealist?

I know what you mean about Virgo-Aries relationship. And in relationships I mean all kinds -- friendship, romance, family.

Romance with Virgo -- a psychological S&M. But I was blessed with a few good Virgo friendships that carried me through some difficult times.

After all that I have been through, I decided I will not date the following: Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo & Scorpio. My worst heartache was from an Aquarius.

Okay, you HAVE to explain to me how your Gemini rising affects you -- because while I'm friends with a few Geminis, I know I could never date them.

I have never dated a Libran. The Librans I know take FOREVER to decide on things like where to go, what to eat, when to watch a movie, which movie to watch.

Can you just see how it would never work? Is Charlotte decisive?

Oddly, never dated a Leo either. They are supposed to be the perfect match for me. But alas.

Anonymous said...

i was a bit flippant in what i said about march arians... while much of what i said is often true, there is also the other side to the coin:

they are often more determined and focused - which is certainly a good thing. attainment of some sort is important to arians - they can't just be, they have to succeed in something or read some sort of fulfillment. and march arians certainly do that.

the flipside to being blinkered is also being more focused!

also, being "younger", they are often more generous too, because they live life like children.

as for the capricorn rising - a pragmatic idealist definitely sounds right. and isn't that a brilliant kind of idealist to be? a pragmatic idealist is certainly more likely to realise their ideals...

talking about psychological s&m, i could imagine the scorpio relationship being a bit of an emotional s&m...

what was it about the aquarius? (i'm not expecting any details)

gemini rising...? hmmm... i think its meant to make us a little more eloquent. i think it is meant to enhance my curiosity (which arians already have) and intellectualism - although with the latter it is very hard to say how much of an influence it has on me. no-one's really gonna say "oh yeah, it makes me more intelligent"... :)

charlotte is thankfully a more decisive libran! otherwise it'd kill me! :D

a leo certainly wouldn't be a bad idea for you, although they'd certainly need to be an intelligent and open-minded one. but if they embrace their positive aspects of passion, pride, high standards and a sense of responsibility then they can be compatible. they're also dependable, which would be very important to you.

darkorpheus said...

JP This has evolved to become a conversation on "Dating by Horoscope." Hee.

Good for you that Charlotte's a decisive Libran -- and it's good that they actually exist! :)

Hmm... I would have liked a Gemini rising. Eloquence would have helped my way around things. Instead, I have Capricorn Rising and a Taurus Moon with Aries Sun -- there's a lot of horny four-legged animals in my horoscope! Livestock!

Yes, my ex, whom I refer to as Aquarius among my friends.

Aquarians are humanitarians and everyone's friend -- but when an Aquarian falls out of love with you, it falls so fast. And only on hindsight -- much, much later, you realise you were just a passing fancy in the Aquarian's self-absorbed universe.

It doesn't describe all Aquarians -- just my ex. :)

Say, you ever dated a Scorpian? Or will this be a dangerous topic in your sordid romantic history?

Anonymous said...

taurus moon! wow. now isn't that weird - you've got an earth rising and moon and i have an air rising and moon (aquarius moon).

apparantly our moon sign is meant to reveal how WE THINK the world sees us and how we feel we fit in the world - which in your case, i'd imagine, will be along the lines of being dependable and hard-working.

a taurus moon should certainly also make you more faithful and dependable in a relationship, as well as bending the selfish aries/capricorn inclinations to make you supportive.

your moon makes me think even more that what you'd appreciate most is someone who is dependable and loyal in a relationship.

having gemini rising isn't all its cracked up to be, though... i think it might be to blame for all my interests...! just too many. i can't decide and have never been able to decide which ones to pursue. that experimental dipping-in-and-out of things nature that geminis have certainly isn't good for arians...

its funny that you should say aquarians are humanitarians, 'cause its very true. but theres a snag. they love people, but very seldom love a person. they love the public and are concerned for them, but struggle to express it towards individuals...

i have indeed dated a scorpion, but yes, it is a rather dangerous topic. with charlotte and i, my exes don't exist! i never had any exes!! :)

i was thinking more about you in relation to scorpios, though. what with the cap rising - and now the taurus moon too...

by the way - i just read a response you wrote in which you said if charlotte had done hand-to-hand combat and read comics she'd be perfect! well, she does read comics, as it happens, although she doesn't get around to them as often as i would like. she loved the sandman and courtney crumrin (sp?) and bone and enjoys that general gothic/fantasy stuff...

and, she did kick-boxing for a while! haha! she did it mainly for fitness, though. but she loves the idea of studying a martial art!