John Waters On His New Book Liarmouth, Stolen Skincare, and Why He Hates Hobbies
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John Waters has made a career out of offending people. The infamous director (and Town & Country cover star) made his name creating films like Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble which earned him the nickname "The Pope of Trash." Of course, there's a whole world of fans who love to be offended, though it's worth noting that some of his biggest hits (like Hairspray or Cry-Baby) can seem practically mainstream in comparison.
This month, Waters—a noted book collector and the author of two works of non-fiction— published his first novel, Liarmouth (subtitle: "A Feel-Bad Romance") which like many Waters projects is a little bit indescribable, a little bit off the rails, and often very funny.
Here, Waters talks to T&C about the novel, how he signs scars, and what it is that he hasn't done yet.
What have been the highlights of being on book tour?
When people react well and buy the book. These are my enablers, my readers. The audience on the tour is younger than you’d expect. They all know the movies because they’ve been released on the Criterion Collection. They all know Pink Flamingos. The shocking thing is most of their parents made them watch Pink Flamingos. I never watched it with my parents. I never encouraged them to see it. What parent would be happy their kid made Pink Flamingos? The reason it was a hit was because parents wouldn’t want to see it.
How are your fans important?
Word of mouth is the only real thing that sells. I really believe you have to be in touch with your fans. I’ve not signed bottom surgery yet, especially not female-to-male, but I’ve signed vasectomy scars a lot. At least five times in the years leading up to the pandemic. I feel honored—some of them got it tattooed.
Do you sign a vasectomy scar with a Sharpie?
No. A felt-tip pen.
How long did it take you to write Liarmouth?
Three years, and I worked Monday to Friday. I don’t work on weekends. There are no shortcuts to writing a book. You think about it, you dream about it. It’s no different than any other project: You just have to sit down and do it.
How do you describe Liarmouth?
I hate people who say, “I want to watch a movie that makes me feel good,” I decided to take a spin on the genre and write a “feel-bad” romance, It’s about a woman who steals suitcases in airports. Right there, people are intrigued. I spend a lot of time traveling, so I have apt time to research all the things that can go wrong at airports. I knew someone who would steal pocketbooks from flight attendants. And about 10 years ago, someone stole a La Mer cream out of my checked bag. They didn’t take a Comme des Garcons jacket, but they took the La Mer. It wasn’t a huge jar, but it was more than three ounces. I would never take the risk of bringing a huge jar of La Mer on a trip.
When did you start using La Mer?
A long time ago!
Do you know they sell it at Costco now?
I do!
You watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books. Is it important for you to stay on top of what’s going on in pop culture?
I want to keep up with stuff, and I think anybody has to keep up with the field they work in. If you’re a writer, you should read. If you’re an artist, you should go to all the galleries.
You’ve made movies. You’ve written memoirs. You have a spoken word show. You have a summer camp festival. Why are you so busy?
I just like to tell stories. I have lots of different interests and no hobbies.
Isn’t that the worst, when people ask, “What are your hobbies?”
Exactly—why would you dare ask me that question!? Do I look like a dabbler? What should I say: stamp collecting? I don’t need something to amuse me. I don’t have any friends with hobbies.
Does living in Baltimore make you more productive?
I think it helps. I don’t have distractions, and I’m disciplined enough. It’s where my old friends are. Half my friends are not in showbiz, and nobody sees me at the industry parties. It’s nice to be around real people.
What’s something that you haven’t had that you’d like to have?
Elvira has a slot machine, and I don’t. I want to have a John Waters slot machine where you always lose.
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