A Fellow Worker, Sort Of

The cover intrigued me so I picked up the book and read the front flap. Hmmm, this Jancee Dunn was a Rolling Stone reporter in the '80s, interviewing such as Madonna (she should be so lucky today,) Brad Pitt, Dolly Parton (they shared some Velveeta as a snack,) Tony Bennet, Beyonce, Star Jones.

I worked in rock'n roll in the '70s. I've interviewed an awful lot of people so it would interest me to read about what'all happened after I quit rock'n roll despite a very wide gap between us. Her - Rolling Stone. Me - Dino, Desi and Billy, The Seeds. One has prestige, the other has none. I believe we all know which one is me?

What appealed instantly were her tips on conducting a celeb interview. Try for somewhere scenic; nothing is worse than a conference room, hotel room or often-used restaurant. (I'm thinking of you, The Ivy.)

Engage the person in an activity - "Janice Dickinson and I were biking in Central Park when..." That's your lead-in.

To get the goods on a star, forget asking their entourage. They don't want to bite the hand that feeds them. Instead get a local who has been hired to drive the van, run errands, whatever. They don't have to worry about job longevity. When the movie wraps, so does the job. As they are largely ignored, any notes about what they've seen or overheard will be eagerly offered. Someone is paying attention!

They get drunk; you stick with a soft drink.

Do your damndest to get invited into their home. The story writes itself. "Where did you get all of those precious China elephants? Was it on the shoot for 'Mysterious India'?"

"But Enough About Me, a Jersey Girl's Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous" by Jancee Dunn Harper/Collins Publishers 276 pages $24.95 ($3 at the library book sale; pristine condition)