Sara Benincasa is a hilarious writer, comedian, and radio talk show host originally from New Jersey. She’s worked for MTV, Cosmo Radio, Jezebel and has even published a hilarious and heartfelt memoir entitled “Agorafabulous! Dispatches from my Bedroom.” She’s interviewed and shared a bathtub with celebrities like Margaret Cho, Donald Glover and Neil Gaiman for her Youtube series, Gettin’ Wet with Sara Benincasa. She holds a master’s degree in education from Teachers College at Columbia University and recently relocated to Los Angeles.
I originally discovered Sara Benincasa’s work on xoJane.com, a website created by former Jane Magazine editor-in-chief, Jane Pratt, which primarily focuses on women’s issues, from diverse, unique perspectives, and was impressed by her relatable point-of-view and hilarious voice.
Her Campus USF contacted Sara to find out more about her writing process, her YA novel and what inspires her in the writing and comedy worlds. Check out the interview below!
How did you get started writing for xoJane? “I think I pitched Lesley and Emily on my doing some political writing. And I did a few political posts, but eventually my work morphed into the more XOJane-ish stuff – first-person confessional essays with a dose of humor thrown in.”
You’ve written a lot online and in your book “Agorafabulous!” about your struggle with anxiety and depression and how that took a toll on your college experience. How do you think those experiences have shaped you as a writer? “Well, they certainly gave me material! By sharing my stories about anxiety and depression, I’ve gotten more opportunities than I could have imagined. People with anxiety and depression tend to ruminate a lot, which is a necessary quality for a writer. I’m not sure if that tendency to reflect – some might say obsess – leads writers to depression or leads depressed people to write. But there’s definitely a connection there.”
Were you ever concerned that writing about these topics would negatively effect your career? “I never worried that writing about this stuff would negatively affect my comedy career. Comedy is rife with individuals who suffer all manner of mental maladies. But I did worry a bit that it might affect my ability to get a “normal” job if I ever needed or wanted to. However, I don’t think I’m the type to ever go for a “normal” job. I’d likely be doing something weird even if I were working at Wal-Mart – like I’d be their official greeter/tap-dancer or something. I’m just suited to oddball stuff.”
I know you’re in the process of writing your first YA novel. Can you tell us what the book will be about? “The book is inspired by “The Great Gatsby,” but the Gatsby character is a girl this time around. The Daisy character remains a girl, too, so we’re dealing with something that may be a real-deal lesbian love affair and that may be more of a mutual obsession – or perhaps it’s both. Our narrative is also a female, and it’s set in 2014 (the year the book is scheduled to be published) in the Hamptons on Long Island.”
Tell us about your writing process. Do you write at a particular time of day routinely or when the inspiration strikes? “I’ve learned I must force myself to get in front of the computer if I am to write anything. I can’t wait for that fickle goddess, Inspiration, to appear. In fact, she’s likelier to appear if I do the humdrum, unromantic grunt work of making myself sit down every day and write. It helps to have a number of projects going on. For example, right now I’m in revisions on my first YA novel, I’ve got an outline and two sample chapters due for my second YA novel, I’ve got two sample chapters due for a ghostwriting project, I’ve got an XOJane essay due, I blog three times a week for a website called TakePart (so that’s always on my mind), I’m writing a profile of a comedian for The Atlantic’s ladyblog, The Sexes, I’m constantly pitching other places, I want to write a TV pilot, and I’m working on another TV project with a team. And then there’s stand-up. So when I get stuck on one project, there’s always another waiting in the wings, waving at me to get my attention.
I do find it’s best to have a routine. Mine goes like this: I get up sometime in the a.m. (on a good day), make myself some iced coffee and oatmeal, sit down and attack whatever deadline comes first. I ought to take more breaks, but you get into a rhythm sometimes and I never want to lose that energy. I recently discovered that a half-hour nap is superior to a two-hour nap, at least as far as efficiency goes. Oh, and I can only have one cup of iced coffee in the morning, or else I can’t sleep at night, which knocks my entire routine off kilter.”
[pagebreak]
What comedians inspired you growing up? How do you think they influenced your style of performing? “I grew to really love George Carlin, Chris Rock, Margaret Cho, and the actor/monologuist John Leguizamo. I’ve also been inspired by Amy Sedaris. I’d say my willingness to come out with brash, shocking or overtly sexual material comes from my fondness for Margaret’s work. My occasional urge to make myself look strange or wildly unattractive in order to get a laugh – that comes from watching Amy, who is a total babe and totally unafraid to put on weird fake teeth and a horrible wig if the end result is hilarious. As women, we’re programmed to be pretty at any cost. How revolutionary to say, “F— it, I’m gonna look crazy” and follow through with that idea. Phyllis Diller did it early on. It’s clowning, essentially. I love that. Although actual clowns kind of freak me out.”
You write for various online publications, are regularly firing off hilarious quips on twitter and you make hilarious Youtube videos. How do you think the internet is changing comedy? “I think the Internet has democratized comedy in many ways by giving people an opportunity to get involved and share their voice. All you need is a webcam or a blog, and you’re good to go. And the bevy of podcasts out there prove that you don’t need to be a radio professional to make a difference via audio.
I believe that it’s also offered more opportunities for women, who have always been a minority in the comedy world. With the proper digital tools in hand, funny chicks can make themselves heard in a way that wasn’t possible before.”
What advice would you give to students interested in getting involved with comedy? “I’d say that if you want to do stand-up, you should get started at open mics near your town. Understand that they may be populated entirely by sexist a–holes and/or insane people. And doing well at an open mic doesn’t guarantee you’ll do well on a booked show. Every room is different. The point of an open mic is to get you onstage, working out. It’s like going to the gym, basically.
When you can, move to Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles and get good training in improv, or start working out your stand-up. Or do both! If you can’t do one of those cities, I’d try Austin or Atlanta or Portland or Seattle. In the end, you’re going to need to go where the industry is. The great thing about Chicago is that you can work your shit out there for years, get really, really good, and then move to New York or Los Angeles to get jobs.
And if you absolutely, positively can’t move to any of the cities I mentioned, I’d focus your efforts on creating great Internet content – blogging, making funny videos, Tweeting, etc. There are folks in LA and NYC who spend a lot of time exploring the Internet in search of the Next Big Comedy Thing. ”
What do you think was the most positive outcome of your move to LA? Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to promote?
“I think the most positive outcome of my move to LA is that I’m happier here than I had been for the past couple of years in New York. I got to a point in NYC where I felt like I was treading water, as if I’d gone as far as I needed to go there and was in a bit of a holding pattern. Also, it’s possible to live an extended adolescence in NYC, partying hard and drinking all the time and acting like a horny teenager, until you’re like 75 (this is something I’m going to write about for XOJane). I turned 31 and was still acting like I was 24. I figured I needed a change. And I did.
In LA, you can’t get wasted all the time because, like, you need to freaking drive your car. Also, rent is more affordable here, so I’m better able to manage my money. I can write from anywhere, so why not write in the sunshine? And I want to get staffed on a TV show as a writer, so LA is really the place to do that. There are TV writing opportunities in New York, but there are many, many more opportunities in LA.
Plus, the LA lifestyle is a bit healthier. I used to live in North Carolina, where it was like grits and butter and bacon and also more butter all the livelong day. That was awesome, but not so great for the heart. Then I lived in the Southwest, where it was burritos, burritos, burritos. Then I moved to New York, where I could gorge myself on any type of food I wanted. Out here, though, everyone is always eating kale and fresh oranges and weird fruits I’ve never heard of. It’s good for you.
As for upcoming projects, my memoir, “Agorafabulous!: Dispatches From My Bedroom,” comes out in paperback in April. It’s available now in hardcover and you can get it on your Nook or Kindle, too. And I’m always jabbering about something at @SaraJBenincasa on Twitter.”
Photo Sources:
http://media.timeout.com/image…
http://mimg.ugo.com/201103/6/1…
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/…