Saturday, February 25, 2006

Here's the profile of me from Thursday's Montreal Gazette, copyrighted by them. If the rights holder would like me to remove this article, please let me know. (Actually, I have rewritten many of my answers because, hey, they're my answers.)

He'd like to live in the Chateau Ramazay, but for now, a loft will do

Writer's favourite drink is medieval, but he ranks Eminem as today's best poet

Photo by Allen McInnis. Shot at: His Old Montreal loft/ home office.

MAXINE MENDELSSOHN, Freelancer

Published: Thursday, February 23, 2006

Alex Epstein is freakishly articulate, quirky and introspective. It's what you would expect from a writer who spends hours alone with his thoughts, tapping away on a computer keyboard.

Epstein is a screenwriter who loves Eminem, brews his own medieval-style beer, has a "weird military mind" and hates mediocrity.

As I said, writers are quirky.

Alex Epstein, 43

Occupation: Screenwriter, currently developing a TV series for Global.

The best part of his job: "Getting paid to tell stories."

Why he chose to be a writer: "There was this playwright at Yale, Shoshana Marchand. I asked her why she wrote and she said: "Because you can't possibly sleep with everybody." I guess that sums it up.

His second-choice professions: Novelist, comic strip writer, political speech writer. "Though I missed my calling as a 15th-century German prince."

Little-known fact about him: "I have this weird military mind. I'm always thinking about how to defend the terrain. I've never seen combat, but I think I'd have made a good lieutenant."

His greatest fear: "Dying, but I guess that's pretty universal. Dying without having left anything behind."

On his contribution to humanity: "I'd like to still be making ripples in the world when I'm gone. At the very least, my kids will be a testament to my life here, but I'd like to have changed people's lives in some way. Hence the books and the TV shows."

His greatest regret: "My first marriage, which was a toxic relationship with a wonderful woman who was just wrong for me."

Where he'd like to live: "This loft, I guess. But if not that, then the Chateau Ramezay."

His recently acquired taste: "Eminem. He's a way better poet than any modern poet I've read. He uses internal rhymes and cross rhythms, and still the beat goes on and the feeling builds."

His screen saver: "A picture of my actual desktop."

His secret shame: "I don't brush my dog enough. He's huge and shaggy and he gets dreadlocks."

What makes him upset: "Contemporary American politics."

He's a snob about: "Talent. I can't help liking people who are good at what they do more than people who aren't. I know that's shallow."

Pet peeve: "The Mediocracy."

People say he looks like: James Spader....

His favourite restaurant: Le Cabaret du Roy, 363 de la Commune St. E., (514) 907-9000. "The waiters are in period costumes and the recipes are from 1714. Actually it's not kitschy at all."

Favourite Bar: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, 29 Laurier Ave. W., (514) 490-9555.

His favourite beer: "Gruit. It's a medieval style of beer brewed without hops, using marsh rosemary, bog myrtle and sweet gale for preservatives. You can't buy it, you have to make it. I've made about fifteen gallons of the stuff."

Favourite drink: "Mead - it's made from fermented honey. It's actually a sort of honey wine. I've made that too."

Signature quote: "We'll take a look at that."

©The Gazette (Montreal) 2006

5:39 PM

2 Comments:

Great article -- and a great pic of you, too, Alex!

By  Kelly J. Crawford, at 11:24 PM  

I noticed one change, lieutenant.

By  Webs, at 8:02 PM  

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