Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant wears several hats. She's a comedian. She's a radio show host in Eugene, Oregon. She's a motivational speaker. Most notably (at least in my opinion as her publisher), her column Accidental Comic appears on Quirkee.com. Each week, she blazes a trail of humor and insight, stamping her hysterical point of view on the minutiae of life that we all trudge through, sometimes with laughs or sometimes with frowns. Another hat she's decided to wear is one of novelist. Her new novel, Life is Funny: A Riveting Tale of Comedy, Hairdressing, and Texas Politics, is now available on Amazon.com.

Leigh Anne describes her novel as, "the story of a mediocre hairdresser in Austin, Texas who dreams of one day becoming a stand-up comedian -- after she finishes raising her two boys, fixes the hole in the floor of her trailer, helps her lesbian best friend find true love, and dumps the guy she's dating because he's too nice. But when she enters a comedy competition and uses a little tidbit of information about a gubernatorial candidate she overheard while cutting hair at the salon, she ends up setting off a chain of events that starts with her best friend being fired and her sons being harassed by strange men in trench coats, and ends with an offer for her to run for Governor herself." We will be giving away a copy of Life is Funny during our Reader Appreciation Weekly Giveaway. Make sure to register to be eligible.

We asked Leigh Anne to answer our 20 Questions and she graciously took a break from her busy schedule of making appearances at book stores and signing copies of her book to take a stab at it. Here's what she had to say:

• Well, I started with Barbie hats back when I was seven. Which of course emotionally scarred me for life. And unfortunately, it's hard to make Barbie feel guilty in therapy. My basic rule is to only think of three projects or hats at the same time. Every comedian knows three is funny. If I were to think of four, I'd be lying face down weeping into the carpet.

Q: As someone who gives presentations about how to handle stress, how do you personally handle the stress in your life?

• Mostly with duct tape and a trail of cookie crumbs leading from my office, down the cul-de-sac, to the neighbor I like least. Which isn't actually that bad an idea since anything that helps you diffuse stress in your life that doesn't hurt you or someone else in the long run, helps. Every day I walk three to five wiener dogs (I have two loaners), do a little gardening, sing along to the radio, watch my koi, and, of course, write funny stuff about the stressors I've experienced that day. Most of my humor columns are born out of stressful experiences.

Q: Which is best for relieving stress: eating chocolate, getting laid, or going on vacation?

• Ah, you see, you're thinking too narrowly. Eating chocolate while getting laid on vacation is ideal. Especially if you know the person you're with and are pretty sure you won't regret it after.

Q: Do you remember which comedian you saw as a kid that inspired you to want to be a comedian when you grew up?

• I wasn't into comedy as a kid. My website is accidentalcomic because I fell into comedy (it was a big comedy sinkhole in Houston) in my 30s. I did always love reading Dorothy Parker. Anyone who writes "It's a small apartment, I've barely enough room to lay my hat and a few friends," had the right mixture of wit and intellect to distract me from Edgar Alan Poe and Sylvia Plath for a few minutes every year or two.

Q: What other authors do you admire?

• All of 'em really. It takes guts to be a writer. But if I have to name names -- Carl Hiassen, Christopher Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, Laurie Notaro, Fannie Flagg, Dave Barry, Erma Bombeck, Karen Karbo, Maria Escandon, Jimmy Buffet, Janet Evanovich, David Sedaris... I never have a mammogram without David Sedaris. In fact, there's a song in my new musical (which will be produced in winter) called "I Never Have a Mammogram Without David Sedaris."

Q: How would you motivate a young author to work through writer's block?

• I think it's rude of writers to sit around moping about not having any ideas. Think of the millions of people in real jobs who haven't had any ideas for decades. They go to work anyway. That's my advice. Go to work anyway. Write dreck. Consider it a dirty job you have to do until your real job comes along. Some of my best stuff comes from forcing myself to write. Although I tend to have the opposite of writer's block -- Too Many Ideas Syndrome. In fact, I have an article coming out in the next Writer's Digest about TMIS.

Q: Who is the smartest person you've ever met?

• Depends on how you define smart. If you mean smart/dorky, that would be Myron Smith, my astronomy professor in college. If you mean smart/able to manipulate the world to get what you want, my dogs Maddy Lou and Copper. If you mean smart/able to parlay a sophomoric sense of humor into a lifelong career that actually earns income, that would be Dave Barry, whom I met last year at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Conference in Dayton, OH. I met his brother Sam, too. Sam may have been smarter than Dave, but we were all drinking, so I can't say for certain.

Q: It's been stated that everyone in the world should have their own theme song. What would be the theme song for your life?

• Either All I Wanna Do (is Have Some Fun) by Sheryl Crow or Already Gone by The Eagles. Although mostly in the shower I sing really old Kris Kristofferson/Rita Coolidge Tunes like From the Bottle to the Bottom or newer country songs like What's a Guy Gotta Do to Get a Girl in This Town.

Q: When was the last time you talked to your mother?

• Yesterday. She called to see how well I was recovering from my auto accident. Of course, this was mother #1, AKA, Real Mom. Mother #2 and #3, it's been forever.

Q: Who would win in a fist-fight: Rosie O'Donnell or Star Jones?

• Rosie. All she'd have to do is land one punch and skinny Star would hit the wall and shatter. Padding, that girl needs padding.

Q: What words of wisdom did your father share with you? Was it good advice?

• Sheesh, the only things I remember advice-wise were "Don't ever let them see you cry" and "Boys just want to get in your pants." One was good advice, the other not. You decide.

Q: Philosophy to live by?

• "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key." That's from Already Gone by The Eagles. Runner up, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane" from Jimmy Buffet's Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. Is that a fine song title or what? I think songwriters make the best philosophers, followed closely by bumper sticker writers.

Q: What's the biggest misconception people have about you?

• That I'm an extrovert. Just because I never shut up and always have to be the center of attention. Actually, when I'm by myself, I'm very shy. I can hardly carry on a conversation.

Q: If your life were turned into a movie, which actress would play you?

• Susan Sarandon as she was in Bull Durham. Let your imagination run wild!

Q: Describe what you consider a perfect day?

• 60 degrees and partly cloudy, I'm on the beach with my dogs chasing seagulls. Then I get home and Oprah has called inviting me to promote my latest project on her show. The doorbell rings and there are my two best friends each with a hand truck loaded with Almond Joy. Later I get a chance to read a novel without interruption and listen to some really good music really loud and my neighbors don't complain.

Q: Are you a spiritual person?

• Absolutely. Some people have called me "ghostly," both because I am very pale and because I store enormous amounts of electricity. So I am not only spiritual, I may be a spirit. I do believe in the interconnectedness of everything, in doing right because it's the right thing, in karma -- both good and bad, in serving a greater good than yourself, and in really comfortable shoes.

Q: If you were trapped on a deserted island, what three things would you need to survive?

• My dogs, my CD player and CD collection (I'm counting that as one thing and would like to see you stop me), and my computer (I'm assuming there's a WiFi connection on this island).

Q: Who inspires you?

• Anyone who pushes past boundaries and acts audaciously without hurting others along the way. And if they make me laugh so hard my duodenum cramps up, that's even better.

Q: What's the last book you read?

• Well, I'm re-reading Christopher Moore's, A Dirty Job out loud to my husband while finishing up Maria Escandon's, Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking. Since I have a radio show and interview a lot of authors, I always have a stack of books waiting for me.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

• I once took a vacation 2000 miles from home and ended up accidentally buying a house. I think it's best if I just stay put. I can't be trusted out of town. (But if someone could prevent me from signing real estate papers, I'd go to Banff.)

---

Tag this article: