Interview: Kate Clinton Will Make You a Smarter Lesbian
February 1, 2010
A few weeks ago an editor here at Cherry Grrl had the opportunity to interview writer, political humorist, and entertainer, Kate Clinton. Since the conversation took place, that individual has begun reading The New York Times on a daily basis, become addicted to MSNBC, and, most recently, taken an interest in a State of the Union Address for the first time ever. Just 20 minutes of learning more about how Kate Clinton thinks and what Kate Clinton finds funny sent this lesbian out on a mission to increase her own knowledge base. She now looks at politics, culture, and America in a whole new way. Kate Clinton fans already knew this was a common side effect of reading her writing or watching her stand up performances. She makes us laugh at things that we didn’t even realize we actually understood. To say that she is smart would be an understatement. To say that she is funny would be withholding. To best describe Kate Clinton you would have to say that she is among the most talented lesbian comedians ever and that her groundbreaking career has been of monumental value to the gay and lesbian community. Here – in the interview that made a Cherry Grrl editor become better at what she does – we talk to Kate about her latest book (“I Told You So”), her views on current LGBT issues, her Lady Haha 2010 tour, and more.
Cherry Grrl (CG): So, to be honest, talking to you is pretty intimidating because I’ve read your writing and seen you perform and you are really just so impressive. “I Told You So” is fantastic.
Kate Clinton (KC): Well, don’t worry. And thank you.
CG: What can you tell us about your approach to the book and how you went about choosing the pieces that went into it?
Kate Clinton (KC): I really love to have, somewhere in the world, a collection or record of things that I have been doing. That’s why I put out CD’s every couple of years. Just so I will have a record somewhere in the world of what I’ve been doing. And I feel that way about the books, too. They are collections of essays that have appeared in The Advocate, The Progressive, and other places that I write for and what’s new about this book is that a lot of the essays appeared originally as blogs and I had to substantially re-write them as essays for the book. And that was kind of interesting. You know when you write a blog it’s so immediate that everybody knows who you’re talking about, but at like two years’ difference you can’t remember. Like, was a “poindexter” a guy or a kind of guy? So that was fun. And also Beacon [Press] had asked me to write things that hadn’t appeared anywhere else and what that allowed me to do was to write longer pieces, which it turns out I really, really enjoyed. Like, “The Closet and the Confessional” was really fun to write and was something that I could never do in a short column or short blog.
CG: And what is it that you hope readers take away from it as a whole?
KC: I really want them to laugh out loud. I appreciate when I get an email from somebody that says, “I was on the shuttle and I was laughing out loud and the person next to me asked what I was reading.” I think that’s wonderful. And also that they think. You know? Because I think in my shows I accuse my own self of comedy bludgeoning and just kind of like hitting people with ideas that they’d like to take a little time with. I think the book offers that opportunity to kind of go back and go, “What was she saying there?” Because I’m very proud – I said in the book – of destroying logic boards on my Mac. I have gone in two times and the guy has said, “Your logic board is destroyed.” And I always say, “Well you should see what I’m writing.”
CG: In terms of the topics that you do take on, both in your writing and in your routines, what would you say you are focusing on the most right now?
