Laurie R. King Submits to a Flip Video Interview

Not every scheduled interview goes according to plan. The subject doesn't show up. The journalist doesn't show up. Everyone shows up, but there's an unplanned time constraint. 

Then there's this: Everyone shows up, but there's nowhere suitable to do a video interview. 

Laurie R. King met me at a local DC-area coffee shop that many authors, publicists, and journos favor because of its location. However, on the day King and I met, the tables where it's best to conduct any kind of interview were taken. After we talked for a while, she gamely agreed to follow me into a back hallway, complete with staircase, for the video portion of the interview.

Poor Laurie R. King. Not only is there a humongous and disconcerting echo in this video, but halfway through the taping, some kind of generator kicked in to high gear, adding its thrum to an already imperfect recording.

Still want to watch? Actually, you should. If you are willing to overlook the shaky camerawork and the background noise, you'll hear one of today's most accomplished mystery writers discuss why her characters Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell rarely appear together at the same scene, why the 1920s makes such a compelling backdrop for many of her novels, and what business the denizens of apiaries have sharing the stage with humans in King's latest novel, The Language of Bees.

Actually, as I watched, I forgot about the shaky camerawork and background noise. That's not hubris; it's due to King's inherent grace and dignity. Thank you, Laurie R. King, for being so patient with me during this "filming." Next time, I promise, you'll be in the proper studio!