courtesy of The Pussy Ranch
In a celebrity-obsessed culture like ours, writers can benefit from the creation of a personality that fits and enhances their writerly identity. Of course, it takes a special talent to pull it off. Many writers are simply too shy and otherwise focussed to enter these waters.
In today’s Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times, one writer’s journey from Catholic schoolgirl in suburban Chicago to Minneapolis copywriter to totally nude stripper to blogger, author and screenwriter is on display. Brook Busey-Hunt adopted a sexier non de plume–Diablo Cody–and is now a hot property in Hollywood screenwriting circles. Her screenplay for “Juno,†a film directed by Jason Reitman, is set for release by Fox Searchlight on Wednesday.
To get the full effect of her self-induced persona, see this appearance on Letterman. Dave asks her if her stripping wasn’t a form of prostitution and she replies, “I think everything is prostitution in a way…when you’re exchanging some kind of sexual stimulation for money, I think that is prostitution. I mean that’s a heavy question, Dave. Let’s keep it light here.”