#type: interview

[purewasteland]

it's like being home.

[braceletofteeth]

[stares directly into the camera]

[revolutionary-marxism]

Q: You knew Stalin very closely. What was he like?

Kaganovich: "Iosif Vissarionovich was a very prudent man. Very. A man who saw very far. Today we should ask ourselves: could we really have fought fascism if we had remained a non-industrialized, non-collectivized country? Could it have, our archaic agricultural village, feed the army and the cities? Who would have the courage to answer yes to this question? We should ask ourselves: why did Tsarism die? Because it had nothing to feed the army with. It had no clothes to dress it. It was a naked, barefoot, and hungry army, that of the Tsar, and it had nothing to shoot. We, on the other hand, in the fight against Nazism, after the retreats we began to increase, increase, increase our military power, and we sent tens of thousands of artillery pieces to the front. When we attacked Berlin, it was an attack never seen before in intensity and power. Where did we get all those tanks and planes? Without Stalin's policy we would never have gotten anywhere, we would all have died. What would have become of the USSR, if we had not made in ten years the progress that normally takes fifty or sixty years? Fascism does not wait, it would not have waited. Our country would have been destroyed. And all these shitty patriots today don't want to understand it, just as many communists don't understand it anymore. We should have taken Bukharin's path, they say, Kondriatev's path... Well, what would have happened if we had followed their path? We would have been crushed, I am deeply convinced of that. We would have been crushed for five hundred years, it would have been much worse than the Tartar yoke. That's what Russia would have ended up like. We gained two years with the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, two years, from '39 to '41, crucial for the development of industry, for the strengthening of transport. But now it's easier to blame Stalin and his era for everything."

Q: Have you never had second thoughts about the arrests of that era, about the violence and the victims of the campaign to collectivize the countryside?

Kaganovich: first point to remember is that collectivization was the continuation of a Leninist line. Were there excesses? Yes. But where and when aren't there? There always are. When you fight a war, it is difficult to know in advance how many bullets you will fire. The enemy occupies one of our cities, we must retake it. But inside the city there are our people, innocents who could be killed in the attack. The army will still shout: to the assault, because that is how it must be, in all types of war. Yes, the result is that even the innocent suffer. There were innocent victims in the collectivization of the land. But there were also rich, influential peasants, linked to the church, who disturbed, obstructed. What was to be done? And in industry there was sabotage. Today many historians deny it, but it was true. Sabotage existed, and, I will say more, it still exists today. Perhaps I have the mentality of an old, overly suspicious fighter: but what are the unshipped goods, the extortion, the development of this mafia that is so much talked about, and of the black market, what are they if not a colossal sabotage against socialism? We should intervene harshly, and explain to the people what is happening, why they are made to suffer in this way. We should open a great debate."

Lazar Kaganovich's response to criticism of Stalin's domestic industrial and agricultural policy in preparation for the Nazi invasion of the USSR

From the archives of La epubblica, interview conducted in 1990 via written questions and answers; KAGANOVICH SPEAKS 'WE ARE NOT MONSTERS'

[911onabcbts]

Oliver’s interview quote from Nineteen92 Magazine ✨

[interact-if]

Pride Month Feature #2: Suevi

Game: Suevi (Play here)

Synopsis: Suevi is about finding love and surviving in Ancient Rome... as a Germanic slave.

Tags: romance, historical fiction, low fantasy, dark

Author: Bellamy

Hi! My name is Bellamy, I’m in my mid 30s, neurodivergent, pansexual and nonbinary. My pronouns are ey/em (alternatively they/them is totally fine). IRL I’m not out and I live in Eastern Germany, originally I’m from Southwestern Germany. English is my second language.

2. Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

The IF I currently work on is called ‘Suevi’, and it’s a story set in/around 14 CE. The MC is of Germanic origin and gets enslaved. They get bought by a rich, influential Roman patrician family and have to face the struggle of being thrown into a completely different culture, that has a language they don’t know, and they’re at the very bottom of the food chain.

My journey into interactive fiction is actually relatively short. Suevi is the first IF I’m writing, and the first major project that I write. Before I started on Suevi, I hadn’t written anything bigger since my school days, I haven’t done any creative writing at all actually. And even though Suevi is only a prologue and the first chapter now, it is already the largest project I have ever written.

I remembered ‘Choose your own Adventure’ books from my childhood, and I loved them back then already. I love RPGs, and had played visual novels before, but somehow only found out about interactive fiction around half a year before I started my own IF. I fell head over heels for the interactive format.

My story is inspired by different aspects: My brother is a big history nerd and is very interested in Germanic tribes throughout history. I grew up in an area where different tribes that are said to have been Suevi settled in, and I was able to visit remains of the Roman Limes wall and different related museums in the past. A big inspiration was also the IF Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian by Haley Mattos, an amazingly written IF that I can only recommend. I wanted to give back to the IF community, and that’s what ultimately started the project.

Read on for the full interview!

3. What are some of the most rewarding or challenging aspects of writing Interactive Fiction for you?

The most rewarding aspect is definitely the feedback. It’s great to see that people enjoy my story and care enough to let me know, or give me constructive criticism to help me improve my story.

4. What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

It helps a lot to have one designated area dedicated to writing/working. Also, be comfortable—wear comfortable clothes, put on some music that helps to immerse you into your story if you want, maybe have a few snacks nearby and a beverage of your liking.

5. What’s the one thing you’re really proud of that you’ve written so far?

I’m not that far into writing the story just yet, but I’m rather proud of the intimate fling scenes I’ve written in chapter 1. It was a first for me, and at the beginning I really struggled to find the right words, but I know it’ll become easier with time.

6. Do you have favourite interactive fiction games, characters, scenes or authors that you’d like to recommend?

Too many! There are lots of great authors out there that deserve some spotlight, but I fear I don’t have enough time and space to name all of them. I already mentioned Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian (@defiledheartblog on tumblr), which has a very similar theme to my own IF. An amazing IF with a nonbinary RO and a trans RO is Blood Moon by Barbara Truelove (@barbwritesstuff on tumblr). A WIP IF that is completely underrated imo is Party of Four (@partyof4game on tumblr), which has an asexual RO and a nonbinary RO. Zo, the author of Party of Four, is also ace! Lastly, an author that I really look up to is C.C. Hill (@when-life-gives-you-lemons-if on tumblr). She is amazing, I love her writing, she’s incredibly inclusive and a pleasure to interact with.

7. If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?

To readers: Please be kind to others. Lately there has been a massive wave of hate and harassment in the community, and it drives away kind and talented people who just want to share the stories they write. Support the works and authors you want to see more of. If you like an IF, send the author a nice message. It makes us smile and gives us the energy to continue writing.

To authors: Be kind to yourself. Take breaks. If you don't take breaks, your writing probably will be subpar, because you need a break sometimes, and you will have to fix everything you write after you actually do end up taking a break. It will also save you from feeling burnt out from writing. Don’t forget to hydrate. Only write a story if it makes you happy. You don’t owe it to anybody to continue writing a story you are fed up with; and if you don’t enjoy your own story, it will show.

[vampire-scripture]

I had an idea of Lestat as the man of action, the man that could do things that I never could, the man who could make decisions that I’d never had the nerve to make, and the person who could go through life joyfully in spite of the questions that torment me, the doubts that torment me, the horror of death that torments me. (...) [Lestat] never really absorbs a tragic definition of himself for very long. He always comes back laughing at everything and just rebounding. It may take him a few years, but he always does it. I really wanted to explore a personality different from my own. - Anne Rice (source)

[singemall-stayallnight]

Jimmy Page March 2000 Interview

Source

Q: You don't sound well.

A: I'm bearing up under the strain of countless interviews. I'm becoming very, very hoarse with laryngitis even as we speak, but I promise I won't let it set in until we finish the interview.

Q: Are you sure it's the interviews and not all the cigarettes you smoke?

A: I'm not smoking anymore.

Q: How did you kick the habit?

A: Actually, it's a result of playing with the Crowes, because we started off in New York. I remember getting off the plane and getting out from the airport, and immediately this chill hit my chest because I had been perspiring a bit. I had been asked to open my case by customs. Anyway, I got bronchitis, and I had bronchitis all through this thing. I stopped smoking from that point.

Q: You still get hassled going through customs?

A: No, it was just one of those things. I think the guy was just curious to see what kinds of things this lunatic would carry around in his luggage, like sex toys or whatever.

Q: What people really want to know is why you keep going back to the Led Zeppelin stuff.

A: The motivation behind wanting to play Led Zeppelin music, I suppose, is that I'm very proud of it. You know, it's not as though that's the only thing I've done since Led Zeppelin. I've done many other things. But when it comes down to it, I just really enjoy playing it.

Q: How did the Black Crowes come into the picture?

A: Well, this charity gig came up in England, and I was asked to play it. You would normally think, "Well, why didn't he do it with Robert?" The thing is, I had played the same venue that year with him for a charity called War Child. So I thought the best thing to do was try a new aspect. I thought the Crowes would be perfect if they'd like to do it. It sort of went on from there.

Q: So the whole thing started with one show?

A: It was just one evening, and quite a short set at that. Then their manager said, "How would you like to bring that to the States?" And I said, "Yeah, I'd love to do it." We had such a good time doing what we had done. The whole thing captured my imagination, to do their songs as well as some of my old ones and some blues things. It just felt so right to do it, and, of course, it was.

Q: Were the Black Crowes guys excited?

A: There was a big smile going all around. There were lots of nods and smiles and winks between all of us on the stage, and that was generating throughout the audience. The whole place was one big smile. It was a really magical experience.

Q: Was there a moment where you were so swept up in the experience that you started having Zeppelin flashbacks?

A: I never thought of it like that. No, no. It was yet another dimension of it. When we did "Ten Years Gone" with Led Zeppelin, there's all those guitars on the record, and I used to do my best to try to get through it with one guitar. The thing is, when we did "Ten Years Gone" with the Crowes it was quite fantastic. They had obviously done their homework. I was in the middle of this guitar orchestra and it was absolutely stunning. It was a real treat for me.

Q: Are there any Led Zeppelin songs you hate?

A: How do you mean? I like all of them.

Q: There must be at least one.

A: The only one I never felt comfortable playing was "All of Your Love." That was not my sort of deal. It sort of felt like the Rod Stewart songs of the time with the scarf-waving chorus. That wasn't really my thing.

Q: Speaking of which, do you think remaking "Kashmir" with Puff Daddy was a bad career move?

A: Oh, I'm really pleased I did it. I thought it was fantastic. I really did. I did all my guitar parts in one day, and then he said, "I'm going off to put an orchestra on this," and I thought, "Yeah, well, good luck." He put two orchestras on simultaneously, and he had an opera singer going. It was absolutely epic, the whole thing.

Q: Are you down with the Puffy posse now?

A: Is that what they call it, a posse? Yeah. Let's put it this way: It was obviously going to be a one-time thing, but it was fun.

Q: Do you think you'll ever work with Robert Plant again?

A: I don't know. We seem to draw the best out of each other. But unless I'm working with someone who's really passionate, I don't see it as positive. This is the good thing about working with the Crowes at the moment. I'm really happy, man.

[f1sennagirly]

Gilles Villeneuve during an interview somewhere between late 70s to early 80s (please do check up on that thanks)

[softhenrycavill]

Henry Cavill | The Witcher | Interview 😍

[gl-saveme]

[250620] spophair ig story

[kingdonsource]

What is it about Langdon as a mentor that you think Mel respects and gravitates toward beyond just wanting someone to mentor her well? (x)

[djkerr]

Noah Wyle on Connecting with His Own Roots and Bringing Dr. Robby to Life on ‘The Pitt’ | Interview with @AwardsBuzz on Youtube

Here's a clip where Noah Wyle shares the origin of Dr. Robby's name, incorporating the Shema into an episode, what's to come for season 2, and what is Noah watching these days.

[full interview]

[911onabcbts]

Ryan answering some questions for the ‘A Toast To Life’ Podcast ✨

[atwellfilm]

Hayley Atwell on Grace and Ethan's relationship in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

[denissepalacios21]

Melissa with Kynzie Colmery, who played young Bree in the waterfront 💙

Melissa in an interview for Netflix about her characters

Interview with the cast of the waterfront at the ATX festival