Typewriter interview with Lynda Barry

On the magic of music, recreational sleeping, and the smell of dogs

Nov 05, 2024

∙ Paid

Hey y’all,

I figured a letter sent out on such a Tuesday better be full of delight. Luckily, today we have the marvelous Lynda Barry with us. To celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her masterpiece What It Is, she answered a batch of my questions via the United States Postal Service:

Describe a perfect day on your farm. I WAKE UP AT 5:AM. I MEDITATE FOR 30 MINS. I HAVE FANTASTIC COFFEE AND I READ UNTIL 8 AM. I GO BACK TO SLEEP - I LOVE RECREATIONAL SLEEPING. I WAKE UP AT 10:30. HAVE MORE COFFEE BUT IN THE BATHTUB IN MY STUDIO WHERE I STAY UNTIL TWO OR THREE WRITING AND DRAWING AND REFILLING WITH HOT WATER. HANG OUT WITH KEVIN UNTIL 7:30 OR 8. GO BACK TO BED, READ OR WRITE OR DRAW. ASLEEP BY 9 or 10

You have such wonderful musical taste. What is your relationship with music? How is it tied to your work? MUSIC IS LOVE. ACTUAL LOVING FORCE. IT'S A PLACE THAT IS TRANSFORMATIONAL. IT CHANGES A ROOM, HOW PEOPLE LOOK, HOW THEY MOVE, HOW THEY DRAW AND HOW THEY EXPERIENCE "RIGHT NOW." ITS CRITICAL TO MY TEACHING. I'D HAVE A HARD TIME TEACHING WITHOUT IT. IT GETS MY CLASS IN SYNC IN A GROOVE. IT'S TALKING WITHOUT TALKING. IT'S THE SUN ITSELF.

Do you have any hobbies? (The sillier and more trivial the better) Do you collect anything? I LOVE MAKING PLAYLISTS FOR EACH CLASS I TEACH. RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING ON ONE FOR MY CLASS AT UW - MADISON CALLED "THE UNTHINKABLE MIND" IT'S ON SPOTIFY. MY SPOTIFY HANDLE IS DJ HAIRBALL.

What do you do for exercise? Do you detect any spiritual, emotional, or creative benefits? I DANCE. THAT MAY BE IT. DURING CLASS I DANCE A LOT WITH MY BACK TURNED WHILE TIMING THE WRITING OR DRAWING EXERCISE WE ARE UP TO. IF I CAN'T DANCE I GET DISTRACTED BUT IF I DANCE I STAY FOCUSSED AND GET IDEAS. I'M SURE ITS DISTRACTING TO MY STUDENTS UNTIL THEY GET USED TO IT. IF I DON'T LOOK AT THEM I FEEL INVISIBLE AND IN A SEMI-TRANCE. VERY HAPPY AND PRESENT.

The filmmmaker John Waters says he has "youth spies" -- young people in his life who keep him up-to-date on what's going on in the culture. Do you have any youth spies? ALL OF MY STUDENTS FROM FRESHMEN TO PhD'S. ALSO THE GROUP OF 4 YEAR OLDS I WORK WITH. THIS SUMMER I SPENT 3 DAYS A WEEK DRAWING WITH THEM. BUT I WAS THE SPY! THEY CHANGED ME IN A DEEP WAY IN 3 MONTHS. A FEELING OF ALIVENESS AND REALNESS IS WHAT THEY GAVE ME ALL THE TIME

Do you see yourself as part of an artistic lineage? Who would you place in your creative family tree? MAYBE A TEACHING LINEAGE. MY TEACHER IS MARILYN FRASCA WHO I MET WHEN I WAS 19. WE ARE STILL IN TOUCH, SHE IS STILL TEACHING. HER TEACHER WAS SYLVIA MILGREM (OR MILGRIM). MARILYN'S TEACHING CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME. THE QUESTION SHE ASKED: "What is an image?" HAS GUIDED ME FOR HALF A CENTURY AND CONTINUES TO DO SO.

Who are some cartoonists you wish more people knew about? I'D HAVE TO BE IN THE COMICS LIBRARY IN MY CLASSROOM AND RIGHT NOW I'M ON A PLANE. IN GENERAL ITS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK OF CARTOONISTS FROM OTHER PLACES AND COUNTRIES. LAT IS ONE. HÉS MALASIAN. "TOWN BOY"AND 'KAMPUNG BOY" ARE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST. I'LL ADD TO THIS WHEN I GET BACK TO SCHOOL. THERE ARE SO MANY.

Do you have any books you go back to and re-read? "PLAYING AND REALITY" BY D.W. WINNICOTT. "ON NOT BEING ABLE TO PAINT" BY MARION MILNER "THE MASTER AND HIS EMISSARY" BY IAIN MCGILCHRIST "BUSY BUSY WORLD" BY RICHARD SCARRY

The one time we met (Oberlin, 2006) my wife Meghan and I were about to get married. I remember you saying you loved being married. What's something you've learned about being married that might help us in the next 18 years? "THE FIRST 25 YEARS ARE THE HARDEST." THAT'S WHAT KEVIN WOULD SAY WHEN WE FOUGHT AND IT ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH. WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER OVER 30 YEARS AND ITS TRUE !! ALSO, TRY TO ALWAYS SMELL GOOD. OR AT LEAST NOT BAD.

What is it about dogs? Should I get one? DO YOU LIKE THE WAY THEY SMELL? IF SO, YES!

Thanks so much to Lynda — do yourself a favor and buy all her books and follow her on Instagram: @thenearsightedmonkey. Her work will blow your mind!!!

You can read more typewriter interviews here. Let me know who’d you’d love to be part of the series:

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