Festival of Books: Comedian and author Julie Klausner

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As a preview for the L.A. Times Festival of Books, coming April 24-25, Jacket Copy is talking to some of the authors you can see there. Comedian and author Julie Klausner -- seen on TV on ‘Best Week Ever,’ on stage at the Upright Citizens Brigade and in print in McSweeney’s and in her first book, ‘I Don’t Care About Your Band.’ She’ll be appearing on the Saturday panel ‘Memoir: All the Single Ladies.’

Jacket Copy: Can your new book ‘I Don’t Care About Your Band: What I Learned From Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters, and Other Guys I’ve Dated’ serve as a warning to young women just starting to date? Is it more of a survival tale?

Julie Klausner

: It can really be anything to anybody. I’ve heard from guys who read it because it’s sexually explicit, and women in their 30s who read it and write me e-mails saying, ‘Have you been spying on me, because I’ve had all these experiences,’ and teenage girls who e-mail me stuff about how they related to the part about hooking up instead of dating and that I ‘rule,’ which is hilarious because I totally do not rule -- obviously, I rock. My point is that everybody should buy my book, even dogs. Especially dogs! Also, if you send me a photo of your dog reading my book, I will be so happy.

JC: Do you have a favorite book or movie about Los Angeles?

JK:

‘Mother, Jugs & Speed’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard’ are L.A. classics, as is ‘Troop Beverly Hills,’ for obvious reasons -- but ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ is my all-time favorite film, set in Los Angeles or otherwise. Joan Didion’s essays set in California are favorites of mine for sure. Also, I know you didn’t ask, but my favorite TV show set in L.A. is ‘The Monkees.’ ‘Fat Actress’ is a close second.

JC: What are you currently reading?

JK

: I just finished ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar,’ which I picked up after I saw it referenced in an essay about casual sex. I wanted to know whether reading it would make me hungry for candy or scared of being raped by anonymous men in bars. Turned out it did both! Also, it was so dated. SOOOO dated. ...

JC: What are you looking forward to at the festival?

JK:

I want to see Carol Burnett! And I want to ask a mystery writer whether or not it helps them, when they have writer’s block, to wear a deerstalker hat and do that thing when you take a magnifying glass up to your eye and then bring it far away from your face and repeat it.

JC: What do you hope to see or do in L.A. apart from the Festival of Books?

JK:

I am planning to make the House of Pies the House of Pie. Because I am going to eat all of their pies except for one!
-- Carolyn Kellogg