Read to Know Basis: Greg Mania
The author of Born to Be Public talks about his google search history and the book that needs to replace the Bible in hotel rooms.
Read to Know Basis is a weekly interview series with authors talking about reading, writing, and of course snacks. This series is free to all. If you like what you read considering subscribing to support the work of Unstacked, and of course go out and buy the book!
What are five words to describe your book?
Wild, fun, sad, gay, horny.
What is the strangest thing you googled while researching/writing this book?
Listen, I know everyone’s worst fear is their search history getting exposed. There’s the average strange thing someone googles, and then there’s what I google. I don’t remember the strangest thing I googled when writing Born to Be Public just because I wrote it so long ago, but it is probably on the same caliber—if not stranger—then what I googled at one in the morning the other night. I can’t believe I’m about to admit this, but it was: “am i in love with him.” Not even a question mark. Not even sure which “him” I’m referring to. But wait, it gets even more unspooled. The three that followed were, “north korean funeral wailing,” “why do we keep sending things into space,” and “best burritos near me,” respectively. May lightning strike me now if I’m lying. Wellness check for one, please!
What are three books that are in conversation with your book?
Oh, I love this, and I apologize to the following authors in advance for having to be associated with me: Meaty by Samantha Irby, High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez, and So Sad Today by Melissa Broder.
Describe your ideal reader?
Anyone who is on antidepressants.
What is the one thing you can’t write without?
If it’s my story—or a part of my story—I endeavor to write about it in a way that accurately captures and honors my perspective, but I am careful about not speaking for anyone else, or co-opting anything that’s not mine to share.
What is a piece of writing advice that you’ve received that you think is really bad? What is a piece of writing advice that you think is really good?
I know some may take umbrage with what I’m about to say, but I’m really not a fan of, “Show, don’t tell.” What if I told you we could do whatever serves the work best—even if it’s some combination of the two?
The best piece of writing advice I’ve ever received—which I continue to impart on my students, fellow writers, or anyone else with the desire to share something important to them—is: If you care about your story, someone else will, too.
What are you reading right now? And what book are you desperate to read next?
I cover books for a bunch of different publications, so I’m always reading something forthcoming. Right now I’m reading The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang, which slaps, by the way, and up next is Dead in Long Beach, California by Venita Blackburn.
Who is your dream collaborator and what would you make?
Of course a few names come to mind—like Samantha Irby, Lindy West, Kashana Cauley, Jean Kyoung Frazier, and other hilarious writers of the ilk—but my dream is to be hired to adapt the books I love for TV and film. Would I love my own show? Sure. But what really excites me is bringing a book that will forever carry a little part of me to audiovisual life. Like, if you told me I start in the writer’s room for a limited-series adaption of All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky, I’d be like, “What time do I need to be there?”
What book are you an evangelist for?
So many, but the one that immediately popped into my head—and I always listen to my gut—is All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thakam Mathews. That book came into my life at just the right time, and I firmly believe it should replace every copy of the Gideon Bible in hotel rooms across the United States.
If you could not be a writer what would you do?
I would say singer, but unfortunately, that requires a level of talent that I simply do not possess—it’s barely appropriate even for karaoke. I have, however, always wanted to open my own restaurant. I think it’s because, as a kid growing up lower-middle-class in suburban New Jersey, going to a place like Applebee’s was a treat. A luxury, even. That excitement of going to a restaurant—a favorite or a new spot—has never left me.
Who is your literary crush?
I have to pick just one?! Hold on, let me throw these names in a hat and pick one out: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.
You’re invited to a literary potluck, what are you bringing?
A carton of Marlboro Lights.
Connect with Greg: Instagram | Website | Substack
Read to Know Basis is a weekly interview series with authors talking about reading, writing, and of course snacks. This series is free to all. If you like what you read considering upgrading to a paid subscription to support the work of Unstacked, and of course go out and buy the book!
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Okay this one was so good. I am officially a fan. That bookcase doorframe?? Are you kidding?