Edward Champion's Return of the Reluctant

Questions for Plum Sykes

Your new novel, "Bergdorf Blondes," have created some disgraceful and unintentionally hilarious Q&A sessions which demonstrate that you are a Tina Brown in the making.

I have a new disease, which I've called glitteratitis. I want Bret Easton Ellis to use me as an object in his next novel, preferably as a footstool.

As a writer for Vogue, you have ideas, right?

I'm too beautiful to be concerned about the human condition.

You've used "blonde" as a verb and every time you open your mouth, people have been actually lost brain cells listening to you.

You've got to keep the English language fun. Have you ever known an English teacher aware of this season's fashion designs? I haven't. Perhaps if these teachers paid attention to the way they dressed, English classes wouldn't be so square.

How can you justify writing a book about these kinds of women with all that is going on the world?

After 9/11, I finally had the excuse I needed to open up my secret stash of candy. And I thought to myself that Jonathan Franzen needed to write a history of candy rather than these long novels about human behavior. He made my head hurt. Who really wants to pay attention to that sort of thing? This age is about comfort and self-entitlement. If you look at this lady with the cigarette in her mouth, she's simply not in fashion. And besides, we have cheerier photos at Vogue.

What did you study at Oxford?

I wrote my thesis on the frizzy hair movement of the 1970s, drawing particular attention to the Farrah Fawcett feathering movement. It was well received.

P.T. Barnum once said, "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public." Would you say that you could apply this to being born in London?

How brilliant. Can you pick up lunch?

Posted by DrMabuse at May 30, 2004 08:58 AM