Chasing Zebras: Interview with House M.D. Expert Barbara Barnett

Barbara Barnett is Co-Executive Editor of Blogcritics, an Internet magazine of pop culture, politics and more owned by Technorati Media. Always a pop-culture geek, Barbara was raised on a steady diet of TV (and TV dinners), but she always found her way to TV´s antiheroes and misunderstood champions, whether on TV, in the movies or in literature.

Barnett´s regular column, "Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: An Introspective Look at House, M.D." features insightful episode commentaries and interviews with the House cast and creative team. It is the place for intelligent discussion of the hit television series starring Hugh Laurie.

Barbara has had an eclectic career. With an undergraduate degree in biology and minors in chemistry and English, she pursued a PhD in Public Policy Analysis after spending a few years working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Her first professional writing gig was with a food industry trade magazine, and although it wasn´t exactly like writing for The New Yorker, it completely hooked her on the profession of writing.

She also writes lots of other things, including technology (from a non-geek perspective), the movies, politics and all things Jewish. Based in the north shore suburbs of Chicago, Barnett is married with two brilliant children and a dog. Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. is her first (commercial) book. She hopes it´s not her last.

Visit Barbara´s website at www.barbarabarnett.com.

Thank you for this interview, Barbara. Can you tell us briefly what your latest book, Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D is all about?

Chasing Zebras is an intelligent (but not scholarly) look at the hit TV show House, M.D. The title comes from an old medial axiom taught to medical students. When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras—think common, not complex and rare. Chasing Zebras takes fans deep into the heart of the show´s central character and his world to explore both the character of House, his central relationships—and his universe. The character is based on Sherlock Holmes, and in a fun interview with a House-loving Holmesian, we explore some of the obvious and obscure connections between the two fictional characters. The series has a lot to say about everything from society to ethics to God. One of its core questions asks, "what does it mean to ´do the right thing.´" I go into all of those things. Half the book is a comprehensive episode-by-episode guide to the series all the way through season six, peppered with trivia and and quotes from my numeros Blogcritics interviews with cast members, producers, and writers.



Can you tell us who or what was the inspiration behind your book?

I´ve always been intrigued by a certain sort of television series: complex, multilayered storytelling with an equally complex central character. Those shows always, at least to me, invite digging beneath the surface of what transpires overtly. My nature (and maybe my educational training in the sciences (biology and chemistry) and later (in grad school) political and policy analysis always draw me into analyzing connections and hidden meanings. On its surface, House isn´t complex; it´s a medical procedural with a defined narrative structure. But it´s what´s layered onto that structure that, for me is exciting and inspired me to write a 430-page book about it!



Is this your first published book and if so, can you tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for it?

I´d written two commissioned books (write for hire) for the National Safety Council on Environmental Management, as well as two small privately published books on spirituality and prayer. But Chasing Zebras is my first publicly available book.

I was fortunate to have a wonderful agent; she´s an enthusiastic advocate for the book (and a big House fan). When we were introduced, she´d already been an avid reader of my House blog and a fan of my writing. She found publisher Jack David of ECW Press in Toronto. ECW has a very robust television book list.

How has ECW Press been to work with?

They´ve been great. I had a vision for the book, and ECW was wonderful about letting me see that vision through. Things like the cover and interior design and even the book title were all collaborative decisions, which I appreciated immensely.

Do you have an agent?

Yes! The wonderful Katharine Sands of Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency in NYC.

Can you tell us how long it took you to write your book and also how long it took from the time ECW Press sent the contract and the time it was released?

I spent most of the summer of 2009 outlining while the contract was being negotiated, so by the time the contract was signed late summer, I had a 70 page outline. The manuscript was due December 1, 2009 (with updates by mid-June 2010, since season six was still being aired). It took about six months to write the manuscript (minus the season six chapters). It a little more than a year from the time the contract was signed and the book was released (September 2010).

Do you have any words of inspiration from other writers who would like to be wearing your shoes?

One of the first (and most constant) things I was asked by potential agents and publishers was about my "platform." Did I already have a following that would be inclined to buy Chasing Zebras? My Blogcritics column allowed me to acquire a sizable audience over the three years I´ve been writing it. I would absolutely encourage anyone who wants to write a book (especially something non-fiction) to start writing for an established internet magazine like BC.

The other thing I would suggest is to outline, outline, outline. The more you do that, the less daunting the task of writing. Also, never shy away from taking a big blue pencil to your own work. Be your own most exacting editor.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in March and April via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

I have a traditional publicist, with whom I´ve been working (especially just after the book came out), as well as a publicist at ECW, who worked tirelessly around the time of the launch. With social media and blogging so important these days, virtual touring is a wonderful way to reach audiences missed by more traditional publicity methods. In addition to the tour, I´m always Tweeting about the book, and of course, about House, M.D.

What´s next for you?

My agent has my proposal for my next book, a non-fiction, pop culture book, and I´m about two-thirds through the first draft of a novel.

Thank you for this interview, Barbara. Can you tell us how we can find out more about you and your new book?

Thank you for the opportunity! You can learn more about Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. (and me) at my author site or my Wordpress blog.