I Sit Down With Myself for this Exclusive Interview

Drifting Clouds, a Kaurismäki film

I recently caught up with myself for the following interview.

Me: Thanks so much for taking time out from my busy schedule to sit down with yourself.

I: I'm welcome.

Me: How have I been?

I: Fine and me?

Me: Good, thanks. How's TMS going for you?

I: You mean transcranial magnetic stimulation?

Me: The very same.

I: I've had twenty-nine of thirty-six treatments and have already started feeling better. I've been depression-free for over a week and in two weeks have had no more than a half a day of the miseries.

Me: That's fantastic! I'm so happy for myself.

I: Yes, it's very encouraging but on the other hand it's still not a huge sample size. Also people show signs of improving and then slip back. That said I'm optimistic. The quality of my good moods are longer and better. It's almost like a normal human being.

Me: Me normal. That's a weird thought.

I: Yes, I've always been something of a strange cat.

Me: My life hasn't always been easy.

I: I'm not going to complain. So many people have suffered far worse. Relative to most people who've been on this globe, I've lived a life of privilege.

Me: I've got a good attitude.

I: Well, I try.

Me; Can TMS cure anyone with depression?

I: No. As a matter of fact I read a story in the New York Times yesterday about a depression sufferer who'd tried everything including TMS, with no success. But she has gotten a brain implant that seems to be working. A lot of people are having success with psychedelics administered small doses by health care professionals. That wouldn't work for me because of my history of panic disorder.

Me: Have I seen any good movies, recently, ones I hadn't seen before.

I: Just last week I saw an Aki Kaurismäki film I'd not seen before. Drifting Clouds. Sublime. Right up there with his best work and frankly most of his films are among his best. He's remarkably consistent.

Me: Where did I see it?

I: On the Criterion Channel. I wish they had more of his early films that haven't been seen in the U.S.

Me: Have I seen The Many Saints of Newark, the Sopranos prequel?

I: Yes, and I was underwhelmed. Not a bad film, but not what one would expect from David Chase, the Sopranos creator and screenwriter and creator of the film.

Me: Comments on the current political scene here in the U.S.?

I: I'm trying to ward off depression, not invite it.

Me: What am I reading these days?

I: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. About halfway through and am loving it. Prior to that I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Which I greatly enjoyed. I'd just watched season one on Hulu.

Me: Am I going to continue watching?

I: I watched the first two or three episodes of the second season and felt like I'd had my fill. The first season was compelling but I suppose I didn't want to spend too much time in that world.

Me: How are things for me in the world of sports?

I: One of my teams is doing fantastic. Another is doing terrible. A third is doing okay.

Me: Seems fair. How many other teams do I follow?

I: One. Their season starts at the end of the month.

Me: Do I obsess over my teams?

I: Guilty. But then I don't brood or worry. I keep things in perspective. I've got a lot else going on in life. 

Me: Speaking of which, I know you definitely obsess over your writing. What's going on in the world of novels?

I: I love it. I love the writing. It's all about the process for me. I'm about ten months into my third novel and probably have a year or so to go before it's done.

Me: Can you talk about what this book is about?

I: I'd rather not. I'll just say it's set in Berkeley between 1963 and 1971.

Me: How's it going with our second novel?

I: Lot of people have read it and said they've really enjoyed it. Then again they've mostly been friends and relatives. I'm struggling to reach a wider audience and that's mostly my fault because I'm the worst at self-promotion. I do have an add in this month's Finnish American Reporter. And I'm doing a book chat with the Finlandia Foundation next Tuesday. Details to follow on this blog.

Me: I wish me good luck with that.

I: Thanks.

Me: I've noticed I've not been as prolific on the blog lately.

I: That's solely down to the book I'm working on. It occupies so much of my thoughts and it's been where I'm devoting my writing time. I still love writing on the blog, but it often feels like it's taking time away from the book and that makes me anxious.

Me: So this interview is cutting into my novel writing time.

I: Yup. But a break is good.

Me: I really appreciate me taking the time out to talk to myself.

I: It was a pleasure. I'd love to do it again sometime. I'm a good interviewer.

Me: Thanks and thanks again for my time.

I: Cheers. Oh, and give me my regards.