8/14/2019 Paula Poundstone interview

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/paula-poundstone-interview 1/2

 

IEW FA TM TBA FMM@;

^JQEJ ^MQ@DSTM@A‗S ^EJ@ O IM_ @MYAFOA_  

oy Ljta Tjrjsa`lm

(Mrghg`jeey puoegsbad g` Xagrd Sgstars Xast , cmvar stmry \pjhas 4-1V< Mct.-@mv. ?>>2‗s Aeactgm` Adgtgm`) 

Gt”s bjrd tm dacgda wbjt fjlas wrgtar -cmfadgj` ^juej ^mu`dstm`a

fmst barmgc; rjgsg`h tbraa lgds (:8, :4 j`d :>) wbgea tmurg`h tba

cmu`try iuee-tgfa dmg`h stj`d-up< miiarg`h tm oa jfm`h tba igrst tm

cmem`gza tba fmm`, sbmued tba FcCjg`-^jeg` tgclat fj`jha tm wg` g` @mvafoar< mr hgvg`h ajcb mi bar :: cjts j ieaj ojtb, jee g` m`a djy.

Tba 42-yajr-med jwjrd-wg``ar wgee oa jppajrg`h jt j oa`aigt cm`cart

g` Da`var imr LODG puoegc taeavgsgm` m` Mct. ?1. ―Out wbjt G”fdmg`h g` j iaw waals gs mii fy rjdjr,‖ sba sjgd, j`d `mt oacjusa

sba”s j ousy wmrlg`h fmf wbm trjvaes j emt.  

―G kust stjrtad tbgs Ijcaomml tbg`h,‖ sba sjgd raca`tey irmf bar bmfa

g` Sj`tj Fm`gcj. ―Tbara”s j tbg`h jt tba vary tmp mi tba Ijcaomml 

 pjha tbjt sjys, ‐Xbjt jra ymu dmg`h rghbt `mw=” …Wmu l`mw bmwtbay jewjys tjel jomut egvg`h g` tba prasa`t= Xaee, G”f vary g`tm

tbjt. Gt raqugras fa tm tbg`l jomut wbjt G”f dmg`h rghbt `mw… G”f

tryg`h tm egva g` tba fmfa`t,‖ sba sjgd, jddg`h, ―G”f jewjys tryg`h

tm ighura mut wbjt G”f dmg`h rghbt `mw oacjusa, tba trutb gs, \oaimra

IjcaommlV G dgd`”t l`mw!‖ 

Gs sba faatg`h j`y em`h-emst irga`ds m`eg`a=

―Tba wmrd ‐irga`ds” g` Ijcaomml gs josmeutaey dgjomegcje,‖ sjgd ^mu`dstm`a. 

―G tbg`l ?>>2 wgee oa tba yajr tbjt tbay rug`ad tba wmrd ‐irga`ds” imr fa,‖ sba axpejg`ad, ―oacjusa G dm`”t egla tm bajr 

FcCjg` sjy tba wmrd –  gt”s craapy tba wjy ba sjys gt. Gt”s smrt mi hmt j Fr. Bj`ay \―Hraa` Jcras‖V qujegty tm gt. Ba”sjewjys tryg`h tm saee j ogee mi hmmds. Ba stjrts wgtb, ‐Fy irga`ds…” J`yomdy wbm”s omuhbt j usad cjr dmas`”t ijee imr 

tbjt. \FcCjg`V fjy mr fjy `mt bjva hmmd gdajs, oy tba wjy, out tbay”ra `mt jt jee a`bj`cad oy stjrtg`h mut j`ytbg`h wgtb

‐Fy irga`ds…”‖ 

Js m`a mi tba rahuejr pj`aegsts m` @^_”s `aws j`d curra`t ava`ts hjfa sbmw, ―Xjgt, Xjgt…Dm`”t Taee Fa,‖ ^mu`dstm`ags l`aa-daap g` pmegtgcje cmfady, out gt”s bjrdey j raca`t davaempfa`t. Sba wmrlad js j pmegtgcje cmrraspm`da`t durg`h tba

:77? prasgda`tgje aeactgm` imr ―Tba Tm`ghbt Sbmw,‖ j`d jhjg` imur yajrs ejtar imr ―Tba _msga M”Dm``aee Sbmw.‖ Sba jesm

wrmta j cmeuf` imr igva yajrs imr Fmtbar Km`as fjhjzg`a, j`d ejtaey cm`trgoutas tm tba Buiig`htm` ^mst. Out tba `aadea

fjy waee oa ourgad g` tba rad m` bar josurd-m-fatar imr tbgs yajr”s bgstmrgc rjca. 

―Tbgs gs wbara G sjy tm fysaei, ‐Dgd Eawgs Cjrrmee wrgta tbgs tbg`h=” \Hmv. Sjrjb ^jeg`”s `mfg`jtgm`V sbmued bjva oaa`

vgawad js m`a mi tba fmst g`suetg`h tbg`hs, avar,‖ sba sjgd. ―Buhb Bai`ar dmas`”t put us dmw` tbgs wjy.‖ 

J stju`cb Dafmcrjt, ^mu`dstm`a dgd`”t jhm`gza mvar wbm wmued oacmfa tba Dafmcrjtgc `mfg`aa imr prasgda`t. ―G rajeey

dgd`”t cjra wbgcb \cj`dgdjtaV wm`….Agtbar m`a wmued”va oaa` j hrajt cbmgca. Tba Dafmcrjts rajeey bjd j`afojrrjssfa`t mi rgcbas,‖ sba sjgd. Out, mi Sa`. Ceg`tm`, sba `mtad, ―G tbg`l js tgfa wa`t m`, G rajeey dm tbg`l tba outtar 

stjrtad tm segda mii bar crufpat imr j wbgea…@mt kust j segp mi tba tm`hua, out kust pejg` hmmiy, smfa stuii tbjt sba sjgd.‖ 

^mu`dstm`a vmtad imr Sa`. Mojfj g` Cjegimr`gj”s prgfjry, out sjgd, ―G bjtad vmtg`h. G tbmuhbt gt wjs egla pgclg`h j lgtta`.

G dgd`”t wj`t tm eajva m`a g` tba ojslat wgtbmut l`mwg`h gt bjd j pejca tm hm.‖ 

 @mw sba”s wmrrgad jomut bar iaeemw vmtars, g` tba sjfa smrt mi tba wjy tbjt Dm`jed Sutbarej`d j`d Ormmla Jdjfs wara

wmrrgad jomut tbagr iaeemw Sj` Irj`cgscj`s g` ―G`vjsgm` mi tba Omdy S`jtcbars.‖ 

―G bajrd m` @^_ tba mtbar djy tbjt tbara wjs smfatbg`h egla :7 parca`t mi tba vmtg`h pmpuejtgm` tbjt wara Bgeejrysuppmrtars wbm wara agtbar m` tba ia`ca mr bjd hm`a mvar tm tba _apuoegcj`s js j rasuet mi Sjrjb ^jeg`. J`d G sjy tm

fysaei, ‐Xbm jra tbasa pampea= Jra tbay ̀ ajr fa= Bjva G tmucbad tbaf= Bjva G ajta` oasgda tbaf=” G tbg`l tbay fust

 oa ajsy tm cjtcb. Tbay bjva tm oa tba dufoast pampea g` tba a`tgra wmred! Bmw cmued ymu \vmtaV kust ojsad m` ha`dar=

8/14/2019 Paula Poundstone interview

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/paula-poundstone-interview 2/2

Tbjt gs josurd.‖ 

Jsgda irmf tba wmrd ―irga`d,‖ tbara”s j`mtbar wmrd tbjt”s trmuoeg`h imr ^mu`dstm`a tbasa djys. 

―FcCjg` gs j huy wbm usas tba wmrd ‐hje.” Wmu l`mw wbjt G faj`= Ba sjgd m`a djy, ‐Smfaomdy hat fa j egst mi hjes

j`d G”ee pgcl, oacjusa, ymu l`mw, wa wj`t j hje, oacjusa tba hjes jra hm``j wj``j vmta imr j hje, sm eat”s hat j hje.” Gt”s kust afojrrjssg`h. Out wbjt”s rajeey afojrrjssg`h gs tbjt gt”s wmrlg`h!‖ ^mu`dstm`a jddad, g`craduemusey, ―Xby

wmued`”t ymu bjva hm`a wgtb \Q.S. Sa`.V Meyfpgj S`mwa (_ -Fjg`a), mr j bmst mi mtbars tbjt jra qujegigad, wbara tbgs

gssua wmued `avar bjva cmfa up=‖ 

^mu`dstm`a axpj`dad m` bar oaegai g` Mojfj”s jogegty tm eajd. ―G iaae egla ba rajeey dgd oacmfa j ceajrar cbmgca, j`d G egva 

g` bmpa. G wjs tbg`lg`h jomut tbgs tba mtbar djy…Xgtb tba ‐Hrajtast Ha`arjtgm`,” wba` tbay wara cjeead upm` tm dm stuii,tbay dgd gt. Tbay dgd tba ruooar drgvas, tbay hjva up suhjr, tbay dgd wbjtavar tba baee tbay dgd. J`d m`a mi tba prmoeafs

`mw gs wa”ra `mt cjeead upm` tm dm j`ytbg`h, `mt g` j vary dgract wjy, irmf mur eajdarsbgp. G faj`, wa jee l`mw wa

sbmued racycea,‖ sba sjgd, ―out wa”ra `mt cjeead upm` tm fjla sjcrgigcas g` j rajeey ceajr wjy, j`d G iaae egla G”f spg``g`h

fy wbaaes g` irustrjtgm` fmst mi tba tgfa…Gi smfaomdy tmed fa wbjt tm dm, G wmued dm gt sm oemmdy ijst. G dm tbg`l tbjt

gi j`ym`a cj` dm tbjt, gt”s \MojfjV, oacjusa G iaae egla tbara”s smfatbg`h jomut bgf…Ba wjels tba wjel.‖  

Tba` ^mu`dstm`a bgp-cbaclad bar bmpa, sjyg`h, ―G iaae egla FcCjg` gs oj`lg`h m` mur stupgdgty. J`d, oy tba wjy, ymu”ra

`mt hm``j emsa dmg`h tbjt…Xbm wmued bjva huassad tbjt wa wmued bjva aeactad Hamrha Ousb twgca= ...Ba jesm ormuhbt

us g`tm j wjr wgtb sgeey cmffa`ts egla, ‐Org`h gt m`.” J`d tbara ba gs, sejppg`h vmeeayojee pejyars” jssas g` tba Meyfpgcs.‖ 

Js tm tba spacuejtgm` oy tba pu`dgts tbjt tba prasgda`t wjs dru`l tbgs suffar g` Oagkg`h, ^mu`dstm`a raspm`dad, ―Zugta

bm`astey, gi ba wara tm tmss ‐af ojcl avary sm mita`, gt wmued prmojoey oa oattar. Ba sbmued tmss ‐af ojcl, j`d tba` dm bgs

Ijcaomml, j`d tbg`l jomut wbjt ba”s dmg`h rghbt `mw… Gt fghbt kust oa tba mpa`g`h wa `aad tm rajeey tjel tm bgf.‖ 

^mu`dstm`a”s jhhrjvjtgm` gs tafparad smfawbjt oy tba bmpa tbjt bar tbraa cbgedra` raprasa`t. 

―G tbg`l tbjt”s wby wa hat sm pgssad jt tbaf,‖ sba rajsm`ad. ―Fy sm` wmued…truey saee bgs smue tm tba davge tm hat tm pejy

m` tba cmfputar. G”f tryg`h tm hat bgf tm put j`y lg`d mi aiimrt g`tm tba wmrl ba dmas. J`d ba dmas`”t l`mw – ba tbg`ls

G”f kust j``myg`h. Ba bjs `m gdaj tbjt G”f bmpg`h ba raougeds tba

wmred.‖ 

Faj`wbgea, ^mu`dstm`a gs caeaorjtg`h 3> yajrs mi stj`d-up, dmg`h

TY j`d parimrfg`h m` tba rmjd jt eajst m`ca j waal. Jem`h wgtb

bar ?>>9 omml, ―Tbara”s @mtbg`h g` Tbgs Omml Tbjt G Faj`t tm

Sjy,‖ sba raca`tey cm-jutbmrad j sargas mi fjtb wmrlommls wgtb

bar bghb scbmme fjtb tajcbar. Sba wjs ̀ jfad tba `jtgm`jespmlasparsm` imr Irga`ds mi Egorjrgas Q.S.J. Sba jesm spa`ds

tgfa ajvasdrmppg`h m` :>-yajr-med Tbmfjs” smcgje studgas cejss

(―Tba tajcbar”s rajeey hmmd‖), baepg`h :4-yajr-med Jeeg wgtb bar 

fjtb bmfawmrl (sba smfatgfas cmfas up wgtb tba cmrract j`swar 

―kust mut mi farcy‖), j`d tajsg`h :8-yajr-med Tmsbgj jomut tjlg`hKjpj`asa oacjusa ―tbgs gs j lgd wbm bjs `mt dm`a waee g` mtbar 

cmursas…G tbg`l gt”s fjda bar baee- oa`t tm dm waee.‖ J`d sba”s

ighurg`h mut bar `aw ejptmp tm pmst vgdams j`d segdasbmws mi bar 

cjts.

J`d gi tba _apuoegcj`s wg` tba Xbgta Bmusa g` @mvafoar=

―Cj`jdj wm`”t bjva us,‖ sba sjgd. ―Tbay”ra sgcl mi us….Sm G”fcmem`gzg`h tba fmm`. G”f hm``j oa tba igrst…Xba` wa jccapt

j`yomdy aesa, G”ee eajva j egttea pjtcb g` tba dust imr ymu.‖ 

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