(Please: All Concise Interviews with Notable People are real and unembellished, and should not be considered satirical or fabricated. To think so would be wrong.)
The following interview was conducted by Andy Wang, a former Microsoft employee (and now a teacher of journalism at the University of Missouri), at a dinner hosted by Mr. Gates at his lakeside home, in the summer of 1996.
AW: What do you think about mandatory ratings on computer games? Bill Gates: They’re saying the games are too violent. I think our games aren’t violent enough. I mean, screw it.
This next interview was conducted by Eric Celeste, a writer living in Dallas, with Robert Hughes, esteemed cultural critic, formerly of Australia. In 1995, Mr. Celeste was writing about people’s reading habits for American Way Magazine, and, on a lark, called Mr. Hughes for a comment. Mr. Celeste was surprised when Mr. Hughes called back.
Robert Hughes: This is Robert Hughes.
EC: Oh! Thank you so much for calling back. I won’t take up too much of your time, uh, Robert, but I’m working on a story. . .
RH: That’s MISTER Hughes to you.
Larry Smith interviewed Elmore Leonard, a novelist, last year for a profile he was doing for P.O.V. magazine, at which he is a senior editor. He called Mr. Leonard at home.
LS: Hi, Mr. Leonard, thanks for taking a minute —
Elmore Leonard: Fuck you, you’re an hour late. [Hangs up.]
Finally, the following interview with Robert Plant, a singer, was conducted last summer by Katy Papagianis at a bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
KP: Can I help you?
Robert Plant: Yes. Do you have this is in a large print edition?
Katy P: Would you mind a used copy?
Robert Plant: No, not at all.
Robert Plant: I love this bookstore. This must be a great job. I would love to do this.
KP: Yeah.