Anna Quindlen Remains an Inspiration to SBHS Journalism Students By: Laura Payne When Mr. Unfried asked his journalism students to write personality profiles this past month, I wanted to go beyond the typical feature story. I wondered if I could actually contact someone famous. After reading several articles in class written by Anna Quindlen, it struck me that she would be the perfect person to feature in a story. Since she attended South Brunswick High School in the late ‘60’s, I thought I might have a chance to land the interview; I did. She granted me an eight-question interview and what follows in this article are the unedited words of Ms. Anna Quindlen, esteemed novelist, Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist for Newsweek Magazine, and SBHS alumnus. Laura Payne: What inspired you to become a writer? Anna Quindlen: I became a writer because of teachers. Throughout my early education, teachers provided positive reinforcement (what are known in the trade as "A’s") for my written essays, compositions, and papers. Nothing is more likely to inspire a person to keep doing something than being told she's good at it. And I was told that, over and over again. Eleven books are the results so far. I think sometimes teachers feel overlooked and unappreciated. Not in this house. LP: What is the same/different from what you expected (being a writer)? AQ: It says in my class prophecy that my goal was to write the great American novel. I did not know at the time of the existence of Toni Morrison. Now I do. I think I have written three creditable novels, and I'm happy with that. But certainly I hope to continue writing books, and to continue leading a happy life. I hope my children will have exciting and interesting work, and happy home lives with partners who think I am absolutely the greatest and want to spend as much time in my home as possible. LP: Who was your journalism teacher here at SBHS? How did he/she inspire you? AQ: Ms. Weber (Mrs. Kathy Hill, who retired in 1999) was our journalism teacher. She was brand new when we got her, and I think we terrorized her a bit. We were pretty terrifying, very sure of ourselves and disdainful of moderation. (It was the 60s, after all.) A number of things got into the pages of the Viking Press that shouldn't have been there. I probably shouldn't say this to you, but I believe that's the function of high school newspapers: to make terrible mistakes, and to learn from them. My eldest son is a columnist at his paper and there was just an uproar about a column and I found myself totally on the side of the students. It wasn't so very bad, and free speech must always trump political correctness. Besides, you guys are only 16 or 17 or so. I was actually inspired by my co-editor-in-chief, whose name was Rosanne Rubenstein. She was very strong and no-nonsense, while I was the soft squishy one. She had a kind of integrity that I lacked. I was a little afraid of her because of it, but I think we put out an infinitely better paper because of her. I've often wondered whether she went into the business. LP: Do you have any advice for the students at SBHS? AQ: Advice: don't go to journalism school. Good reporters need a broad-ranging liberal arts education: poli sci, econ, lots of history to make up for what you haven't lived through, lots of English lit to make up for the lives you haven't led. Everything you learn in J- school you can learn in six weeks of hard work at a small daily. LP: If you had done one thing differently in high school, what would it be? AQ: If I could go back and do high school over again, I'd work harder. And I would have been much more present in the moment during Miss Ritzenthaler's English class. And I would have worried infinitely less about my clothes. But I still would have been the Viking mascot, and I still would have edited the Viking Press. LP: Under your senior picture, it said that you had a smile for everyone. How did that come to be? AQ: "A smile for everyone." My God. And now I've written "A Short Guide to a Happy Life." So, so sick-making, as Evelyn Waugh might have written. The smile for everyone was totally phony. I wanted to be popular. Now I don't. LP: Which do you prefer: writing your column or writing your books? Why? AQ: An opinion columnist who wants to be popular is an opinion columnist who will go out of business fast. I like writing my column for the immediate gratification and writing my novels for the exhaustive enterprise. That's not a fair question, anyhow. It's like asking which of your children you like better. - I Hope this is helpful, Anna "A smile for everyone" Quindlen (although the real lesson of my yearbook picture is "Never try to frost your hair if it is poker straight and reaches practically to your waist.")