The Booktopia Book Guru asks
Megan Amram
author of Science…for Her!
Ten Terrifying Questions
____________
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Portland, Oregon, United States. Like most Americans, I don’t know any other countries. Is Australia in Florida? I was raised in Portland and schooled at Harvard University, where I provided diversity by being one of the only dumb people there. I once worked as a clothes folder at my local mall, and it’s still my favorite job of all time.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
When I was 12 I wanted to be an actress or a pharmacologist. When I was 18 I wanted to be a comedy writer or filmmaker. I’m only 27 so I cannot even IMAGINE what I’d be at 30. Dead, right? That’s SOOOOO OLD!!!
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
That I would be dead of old age at 21. Now I’m just an old 27 year old old woman. Everything hurts all the time. Oh God. I’m SOOOOOO OLD!!!
4. What were three big events – in the family circle or on the world stage or in your reading life, for example – you can now say, had a great effect on you and influenced you in your career path?
The three Toy Stories. They affected me greatly, mostly because now I know that toys come alive when you leave the room. Those Toy Stories are such incredible documentaries!
5. Considering the innumerable electronic media avenues open to you – blogs, online newspapers, TV, radio, etc – why have you chosen to write a book? aren’t they obsolete?
As I state in my book, trees create unrealistic expectations for a woman’s body. We will never be as tall and thin as trees! That’s why I want to kill as many trees as possible. Writing a book is a great way to kill trees!
6. Please tell us about your latest book…
My book Science…for Her! helps women understand science by putting it into their comfort zone (a women’s magazine.) Everyone knows: women’s brains aren’t constructed to understand scientific concepts, and women’s hands aren’t constructed to turn the heavy covers of most textbooks. That’s why I created a fun, flirty, lightweight book for women of all sizes! Except plus sizes!
Grab a copy of Megan’s latest book Science…for Her! here
7. If your work could change one thing in this world – what would it be?
I want all women to know that methamphetamine is a GREAT way to lose weight!
8. Whom do you most admire and why?
Hello Kitty, because she doesn’t have a mouth.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
I would like to get down to my birth weight.
10. What advice do you give aspiring writers?
Write all you can! Writers only discover their voices through producing a ton of work. Even if you think it’s bad or juvenile, keep at it and let people read your work. Great advice, me! Alright, that will be one thousand US dollars, please! Just write my name on the bills and drop them in a mailbox, I’m sure they’ll make it to me somehow!
Megan, thank you for playing.
Grab a copy of Megan’s latest book Science…for Her! here
Science…for Her!
by Megan Amram
Megan Amram, one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment,” Rolling Stone’s “25 Funniest People on Twitter,” and a writer for NBC’s hit show Parks and Recreation, delivers an addictively hilarious science “textbook”—tailored to the special needs of the fairer sex.
Comedy writer and Twitter sensation Megan Amram showcases her mordant wit and gift for parody in Science…For Her!, a laugh-until-you-can’t-breathe, faux-expert compendium of scientific knowledge that Megan believes is absolutely vital for the female population. Part hilarious farce, part biting gender commentary, Amram blends science and Cosmo to highlight the absurd way in which women are still portrayed in both arenas. Operating under the conceit that “science is hard enough for most people, let alone women,” Amram tackles crucial scientific topics like Biology: This Spring’s Ten Most Glamorous Ways to Die (“Choke to death on a latte”); Chemistry: Periodic Table Settings (“one of the most important building blocks of chemistry. But boy does it look drab!”); Earth Science: Fashion Staples for Each Step of Global Warming; Space and Technology: Tips for Hosting Your Own Big Bang; and the most pressing issue facing women today: kale!
Combining the off-beat humor of Amy Sedaris, the mock-expertise of John Hodgman, and a sly, clever design, Science…For Her! is a satirical gem of the gender stereotypes in the world of science, glossy magazine culture, and society in general.
About the Author
Megan Amram is a writer for the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. Since she graduated from Harvard in 2010, she has amassed over 400,000 Twitter followers who enjoy her hilarious brand of off-beat humor. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, Vulture, and The Awl, among others. Her viral video “Birth Control on the Bottom” prompted Jezebel to call her a “national treasure”. She lives in Los Angeles.
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