What's your favorite food?

Vietnamese spring rolls (fresh rolled, not deep-fried). In fact, I'm a fan of most Asian food--bulgogi, pho, sushi, and anything with tofu and veggies. I'm definitely not a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.

Where do you live?

I've lived in Seattle (for most of my adult life), Los Angeles (for a year and a half, to pursue screenwriting), and New York City (briefly, while a play of mine was in rehearsal), but right now I live south of Seattle, in Tacoma. My partner Michael and I moved here in 2000 to help out with my mother, who had Alzheimer's Disease. She died in March 2004, but Michael and I have made a lot of friends here and have decided to stay for the time being.

Are you gay?

As a goose.

What are your screen names?

BrentsBrain on AIM and Yahoo. I'm not on very often, but if you really want to talk to me, I'll be there eventually. I also have a blog and a My Space profile.

Do you do appearances?

Yes, in addition to my extensive book tours, I also do some local appearances, at conferences, libraries, and schools.

For local appearances (Puget Sound area), I charge $500 for one presentation and $1000 for three or four. Out-of-state, I charge $1200 a day, plus expenses. (Please note: I have been known to speak at group homes, GSAs, and other charitable or reading groups for reduced rates or free; contact me with the details of your finances.) 

I can speak on many different topics, but in schools, I generally give a presentation called My Journey Through Hell (Also Known as "The Life of a Writer") (a hopefully humorous presentation suitable for 7th grade and up about my life as a writer, and about setting and achieving goals).

For the record, I won't get anyone in trouble by mentioning anything "gay" unless that's what the school wants (full disclosure: the topic usually comes up in the Q&A).

For writing programs or conferences, I can give one of several presentations: (1) How Far is Too Far? The Limits of Teen Lit (a practical workshop about the history of YA literature, and also about the evolving standards of "acceptable" book content and efforts at contemporary censorship), (2) Why Every Novelist Should Also Be a Playwright (my favorite presentation, another nuts-and-bolts workshop about dramatic structure, and the importance of knowing one's audience).

I've been known to give a mean keynote address. Two recent speeches I've given are: (1) The Landscape of Censorship: A Geography Report (a humorous/inspirational address about my own experiences with censorship, and an attempt to put recent contemporary efforts at intellectual suppression and censorship in context) (2) You Win Some, You Lose Some, and Then You Change the World (a humorous/inspirational address for gay groups about my own experiences with political activism, especially with GLBTQ youth).

For other civic groups, I can also give a non-judgemental diversity workshop called Understanding Homosexuality. I can gear it to either students or adults. I guarantee it's non-threatening, very respectful to all, and not overly "PC"! (It's also a fun time--seriously!)

References are available upon request. Here's an article about one recent school visit.

Interested in my stopping by? Contact me directly . Or contact my representative at HarperCollins, at (212) 261-6644.

What books did you read as a kid?

I wasn't a huge reader until college, but I did read some as a kid. My favorite books were (in age-ascending order): The Great Brain books by John D. Fitzgerald; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl; The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster; The Mad Scientists' Club by Bertrand Brinley; The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis; The Neverending Story and Momo by Michael Ende; Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien; and (still my favorite books of all time) The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson.

What are some of your favorite young adultee books today?

YA books I like a lot include The Giver by Lois Lowry; Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George; Holes by Louis Sachar; The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton; The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi; Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn; Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger; Airborn by Kenneth Opel; the Hatchet books by Gary Paulsen; The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, and Feed by M.T. Anderson.

I'd love to tell you the young adult books I hate--some of which are very popular and/or critically acclaimed--but I'm afraid I'd get into trouble. It seems kind of tacky anyway.

What are your favorite "adult" authors?

Far too many to mention, but books I like a lot lately include Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (a perfect book!); About a Boy by Nick Hornby; The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber (what a read!); The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies; Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur S. Golden; Hyperion (and all the sequels) by Dan Simmons; and A Game of Thrones (and all the sequels, except A Feast for Crows, which sucks) by George R. R. Martin.

What are you favorite movies?

Here they are: (1) the first two Star Wars movies, because they made my childhood so much damn fun; (2) Harold and Maude , because I agree with everything it says, and because it has the guts to end the right way; (3) Ordinary People, because I'd never related to any character the way I related to Conrad (still haven't); (4) Aliens , because it knows how to give a character a dramatic need, and it knows how to tell a great story; (5) Summertime, because it shares my philosophy of life (that all things will end, but that that just means we can't dick around in the here and now), and because it also has the guts to end the right away (please note that Katherine Hepburn never does get to keep her gardenia, which is the key to the whole movie); (6) all three Lord of the Rings movies, because they're even better than the books; (7) Casablanca, because it's just as good as they say; (8) Brokeback Mountain, because I still get chocked up just thinking about it; (9) The Silence of the Lambs, because it has two of the greatest characters ever written revealed by two of the greatest performances ever filmed; and (10) The Planet of the Apes, because it's so much better than people think, and because it has the best ending of all time.

How much email do you get? Do you answer it all?

I do get a fair amount of email, especially lately--20 or more "fan" emails a week (and another 500 emails from friends and associates!). But I definitely answer it all! When I was a struggling writer, I was often disappointed by the many writers who seemed to indifferent when I wrote and told them their books somehow moved or excited me (exception: Piers Anthony!). So I long ago vowed to always be accessible to readers--answering all questions or responding to all comments. Are you kidding? Someone wants to tell me how my book moved them? How could that ever get old?

There’s just something about a book, even more than movie or TV show, where people make a very personal connection. Readers feel that they know my characters personally and intimately, and that, correspondingly, they know me. And in a very real way, they do

Do you get "hate" email?

Yes, but not as much as you might think. Sometimes I get emails from people disagreeing with my "lifestyle." If the emails are thoughtful and not too insulting, I'll respond in the interest of starting a dialogue. But sometimes the emails are just hate-filled rantings, quoting Leviticus and codemning me to hell (or threatening violence--real Christian, huh?).

By the way, if you're thinking about sending me hate email, please keep in mind that I will immediately block your email address, so all those future emails you continually send me in an effort to save my soul? I won't even see them. I'll also report you to your ISP, almost certainly getting your account cancelled.

What's the secret of a long-term relationship?

I've been with my partner Michael for some thirteen years now, and I've learned a few things. First, pick the right partner--someone you really respect and who you really dig, and who respects and really digs you. You can't make anybody love you, and it'll kill your self-esteem in the long-run if you end up with someone who isn't a total fan.

Pay attention to your fights. Relationships are work, true, but they shouldn't be that much work; ninety-five percent of the time, it should be fun. Also, fight fair. Realize that when you're punishing him for something you think he did, you're also punishing yourself, so why bother? Be truthful when you can, but remember that kindness is more important than honesty. Ignore that really stupid advice about never going to bed angry and don't hesitate to give him and yourself time to cool off.

Make promises and commitments, if only to get the parents off your back, but don't get bogged down by them. To make a relationship last, it has to be because you want it to last day by day, not because of some stupid, naive promise from twenty years ago (in fact, I think unbreakable commitments often work against a healthy relationship, because then there's no incentive for you not to be a jerk!). That said, promises do matter, and a shared history means something too, so you owe the other person your very best effort to work it out.

Finally, ignore all advice about long-term relationships. Ultimately, only you know what works and is right for you. Who cares what others think?

Do you have any other life-advice?

Don't make fun of your older brother if he starts to lose his hair. Four years later, the same thing could happen to you.