Like most editors, one of the things I enjoy most about this job is being able to interview authors. And one of the things that frustrates me the most is that I can’t always fit all I want into one AfterWords essay or Q and A feature. There is, after all, only so much room on the page. So, just as in moviemaking, there are segments that end up on the cutting-room floor. But now we have THE BLOG! And, as film companies do routinely now with extras on a DVD, we can share more of the good stuff with our readers. The following are outtakes from my April 2007 exchange (page 269 in the volume) with author Peter Pezzelli (above), author of Francesca's Kitchen. (Corinne, you'll remember, is Peter Pezzelli's wife.)
Who are your favorite authors?
Pezzelli: My tastes in reading have always been all over the place. I just started "The Golden Ocean" by Patrick O’Brien, the author of Master and Commander. I’ve read the first four installments of his Aubrey/Maturin series and loved them all. Hopefully I’ll get to get to the rest of them, he was a wonderful writer. I like the works of Peter Mayle and I’m looking forward to Khaled Hosseini’s (The Kite Runner) new book. My favorite book of all time, though, is still The Once and Future King by T. H. White.
Can you get good olive oil on this side of the Atlantic?
Pezzelli: I’m not an olive oil snob, so I think yes. At home we’ve had good luck cooking with many different brands, some quite inexpensive, that we've found in the markets. It’s like wine, you just have to try a few until you find one you like.
Do you garden?
Pezzelli: I like to plant a tomato garden every year, and some years some zucchini or eggplant as well. Other than that I cut the grass, trim the hedges, and leave the flowers to Corinne.
3 comments:
Does Peter Pezzelli have a fig tree?
Dear Anonymous,
Good question! I'll ask Peter.
Regards,
Tom
Dear Tom and Anonymous,
No, I don't have a fig tree, but it's funny you should ask because lately I've been thinking about planting one in the backyard, as well as some grapes. There's an old Italian saying I heard once, it goes something like: a man should plant fig trees for his children and grapes for his grandchildren--or something along those lines. At the rate I'm going it will be figs for my great grandchildren, but hopefully I'll get around to planting both one of these days!
Best,
Peter
Post a Comment