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Brookline native John Hodgman is a man-about-Brooklyn whom the kids seem to like, whether he's playing the human embodiment of a computer on television or a space brain surgeon. He has written several droll books and has a certain reputation as a professional literary agent, which is why he'll be appearing at the Boston Book Festival this Saturday at the Old South Church.
Bostonist followed up our photo gallery of his appearance in town last October by asking Hodgman a few questions. We discussed the book festival, the new paperback edition of More Information than You Require, what Hodgman is going to be for Halloween, and even the Boston mayoral election. These questions, and his responses, are reproduced below. (Any maniacal capitalization is completely the work of Hodgman, perhaps abetted by Tom Menino.)
How did you decide to do the Boston Book Festival?
I was approached by the very smart and capable DZ Porter at the TED festival. That's the annual meeting of super brains and clever people that I have now attended TWICE (and I have not attended Comic Con even once. What kind of monster have I become?). Ms. Porter described the event that she wanted to create--a festival of ideas as much as books (those are those things with pages), and that was intriguing. But she didn't have to sell me too hard. She had me at Boston, which is next to my home town of Brookline, and Tom Perrotta, who is an old friend I don't see often. I jumped at the chance to appear with him. Literally jumped in the air.
What authors are you most looking forward to meeting/seeing/hearing?
Perrotta, as discussed. But also Ms. Hannah Tinti. Hannah was my old office-mate back when we both worked at Writers House, a literary agency in New York. She was openly trying to be a writer then, and rightly so: she is absolutely brilliant, smart, and fearless. I was still hiding my ambitions. She was the first to say enough and quit. Since then she has published this extraordinary novel, THE GOOD THIEF, and also co-founded and edits the magazine ONE STORY. ONE STORY is laudable in that it does exactly what it promises: sends you one amazing story by mail every month.
What do you think about the Kindle device, and other ereaders? How about that International Kindle?
Even a decade ago, when Hannah and I were working in the basement of the literary agency, electronic books struck fear into the heart of traditional book publishing. For the most part, the decision was made to ignore them. But the appeal is obvious: there are many more books that I wish to read than I wish to own and keep in a pile in my house. I simply don't have enough wobbly coffee tables to justify all these books. So I am now a much more active book buyer than I had been (as I am a much more active music buyer, for the same reason), and you would think publishers would be happy about that. Had publishers not left Amazon to its own device, as it were, and collaborated on their own industry-standard reading machine, the monopoly might be on the other foot.
Is there more information in the paperback version of More Information Than You Require, or just the same? When does the Kindle version come out, if ever?
As my book has very complex/deranged design elements, including charts, tables, and a page a day calendar built right in, it's been hard to get the Kindle to reproduce the book properly. How do you tear a page out of a page a day calendar on a pageless device? But I do hope we can figure it out at some point. Meanwhile, the paperback has all the typical features you love about such editions: it costs less, it's more bendy, and it has several dozen pages of updates, errata, corrections, comments, and a clarification as to why Peter Berg carries two copies of the book DUNE with him on airplanes. There is also a paperless "AUDIOBACK" edition featuring lots of guests, including Dick Cavett, which I still cannot believe.
Where The Wild Things Are: Book or Movie?
Yes.
What's your favorite book at the moment (Where The Wild Things Are doesn't count)?
I am really enjoying a book by my Daily Show colleague Josh Lieb called I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT. It is about an Omaha child who is planning world domination. As the Omaha children do.
What are you going to be for Halloween?
If I can get a lucha libre mask in time, EL BORBAH!
Would you buy a book by or about incumbent Boston mayor Tom Menino? Would you blurb it?
I am not getting involved in Boston politics. All politics are local. Boston politics are so local they never left town once in their life, still work at the old grocery store, and hate you. That is all.
Image involving John Hodgman in Boston politics against his will by Bruce D.
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The person who made that graphic needs to rethink his/her approach. It's supposed to be pro-Flaherty, but if you don't hit "Reelect Menino" on the wheel, all kinds of bad shit happens.
Also, I kind of want to punch "New Boston" in the neck.
yeah, i'm puzzling on it. i think maybe the implication is that if you reelect menino those are the only options you have? whereas if you vote floon an entire other wheel of glorious options is available?
BUT THERE IS NO OTHER WHEEL.
Perhaps this is a good metaphor for this election.
so much deeper than it seems!