Byron Lane
Byron Lane's debut novel is called A STAR IS BORED, about a celebrity assistant struggling to manage his eccentric and hilarious movie star boss, inspired in part by Lane’s time as assistant to actress Carrie Fisher. Available 7/28 from Henry Holt.
Twitter: @byronlane
Instagram: @byronlanedotcom
Favorite non-reading activity?
Napping. I hate to admit it! See also: eating peanut butter and honey, watching Goldie Hawn movies, taking long walks.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Yes and yes and yes some more. Almost always, when someone says something nice about my work, I think they're just being polite. I think I believe the praise is somehow false because I see the imperfections of my work. But I'm getting a little better as I get older and trust people to be honest. I'm learning just because I might see flaws in something I created, doesn't mean it can't also bring a little joy or be worthy of a thumbs-up every now and then.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
Wowza, I wish I could do any of those things! Besides being a writer, I'm a filmmaker and have directed and edited and performed in a webseries or two. I'm an actor and have a part in a play I wrote called Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist which my castmates and I have performed in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, London, and Edinburgh. Still, I wish I could sew.
If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?
If I could curate any exhibition, and I mean any, I would name it "Byron's Favorite Movies." This seems selfish, but hey, you gave me this power! The exhibition would include tributes to Big Business, Overboard, Housesitter, Bird on a Wire, Outrageous Fortune, The Bodyguard, Drop Dead Fred, Meet Joe Black. I'd like to see the costumes and props. I'd like to read the original scripts with director notes. I'd want to know which scenes were improvised. I'm especially interested in the mistakes and which moments were magical accidents. Heaven!
What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?
I live in Southern California, so I really only have one article of winter clothing: A parka Carrie Fisher bought me almost 10 years ago. I was her assistant and I was traveling with her to see the northern lights. When she saw I didn't have a proper coat, she took me to a fancy store and bought me one. It's a treasure. I get cold easily and wear it way too often. If there's a cool breeze I put it on to walk the dog. My boyfriend makes fun of me. My family makes fun of me. Neighbors give me weird looks. But hey, guess who's warm and toasty?!
