Behind the Scenes

I've done a lot of interviews. Not just for Everybody I Shot Is Dead. I did a bunch of interviews for my first book, Starart. My experiences have included many television interviews as well as radio and print. I was even on Merv Griffin back in the day.

So, what's my point? Today's television interview was something completely different. It was my very first live feed interview... meaning I was in a tiny little room all by myself. Talking to a camera. I knew the folks back in Toronto were putting my photographs up but I couldn't see them. The wasn't a monitor feeding me the show. I saw nothing. The only contact I had with the human race was the voice in my ear.

This was my view. A big black box with a camera on top and a tiny monitor where I could look at myself. That would be my least favorite thing to do.

Close-up of said tiny monitor. The cutie taking the picture is my boy Tyler. Click on his name to meet the real photographer in the family.

I couldn't deal with the idea of talking into a blank camera - I'm an eye contact person - so John, the guy who miked me up, brought in Sponge Bob as a stand in for Heather Hiscox. How did he know I love Sponge Bob?

This is Heather Hiscox. The resemblance is uncanny, don't you think? Just as if Heather and I were in the same room.

Did I mention I like eye contact?

Getting ready... Okay, so I looked in the monitor. Once. For three seconds. Big deal. But, hey, I didn't have anyone to do my hair and make-up. Only what I could pull out of my I-rarely-wear-make-up understocked make-up bag. Plus it was six-thirty-friggin'-o'clock in the morning. I apologize to the viewers. I usually look better. Honestly. Okay, maybe not.

And then, in a blink of an eye, it was over. I popped Heather Hiscox out of my ear. We were done. It was all over as if it had never happened. And I was left wondering what I said and didn't say. I have no idea. Of course, after the fact my thought was "I could have done better." Same thing I said after I gave birth.

Anyway, I hope they kept the pictures of George Harrison, Marc Bolan, Maurice Gibb, Frank Zappa and Hank Snow up for the whole time. Because the musicians are what it's all about.

If you happened to catch the segment, post a comment and let me know what it looked like on live TV.

On our way out I begged John to pose for a picture with me in the control room. He's full-on Scottish. Complete with the accent. I like Scottish people. And this one in particular was very nice.

Thanks to all the people at CBC News Morning for putting my book on the air. Much appreciated.