If you love to read books, chances are you love to talk about them too. But have you ever wondered about whether your favourite celebrities or public figures love to read as well? If you might share a favourite book or preferred genre with them? Well, I sure have! So, I’m on a mission to find book lovers (book nerds, if you will!) in unexpected places. In this interview series, I’ll be talking with people you recognise but don’t necessarily associate with books — musicians, actors and actresses, athletes, and more. We will be discussing all of their current projects you want to hear about, of course, but we will also be digging into their unique reading and writing lives!
In this interview, I chat with Lou Diamond Phillips. You loved him as Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, and more recently in shows like Longmire and the current hit Prodigal Son. Lou has written and directed a number of projects for the screen and now he is releasing his first novel, The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira. You may be surprised to learn that Lou is a lifelong avid reader as well. Listen below to hear us discuss his amazing new novel, what the lengthy writing process was like, and Lou’s reading interests and influences from Lewis Carroll to Stephen King!
You can listen through Spotify below or on any platform where podcasts are available!
- 1:10 – Lou discusses the strange year that is 2020
- 5:50 – A filming update on Season 2 of Prodigal Son
- 6:45 – The creation & evolution of The Tinderbox; the influence of Lou’s wife on this process
- 15:57 – The various elements & themes of the book
- 22:08 – An examination of how the book defies genres
- 26:24 – Lou shares lessons learned from writing
- 30:33 – Worldbuilding in The Tinderbox
- 34:12 – Lou’s writing processes
- 37:50 – Lou’s reading interests & influences
- 45:48 – Will there be more books to follow The Tinderbox?!
Books/authors mentioned:
- The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Andersen
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
- Charles Dickens
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman, illustrations by: Charles Vess
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Ernest Hemingway
- The Kingsbridge series by Ken Follett
- The Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith
- The Red Lotus and Water Witches by Chris Bohjalian
- The Longmire Mysteries by Craig Johnson
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- The Odyssey by Homer
- The Stand by Stephen King
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Freedom, Purity, and The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Where to find Lou Diamond Phillips on social media:
- Twitter: @LouDPhillips
