Interview with Christene Seda, Writer’s Assistant with the TV show “Poppa’s House.”

It’s not often that a girl gets married in June, then published in the New York Times in July, but that’s exactly what happened to my gorgeous new daughter-in-law, Christene Seda (Chris).

Many of you remember my stepson Austin and his girlfriend Chris were committed participants in Bewilderness Writing from the very beginning. I will always appreciate their support and willingness to jump in right from the start.

Fast forward to three years later, and not only do we get to go to truly one of the most magical weddings I’ve ever been to, but also get to read their love-story in essay form before being submitted to the “Modern Love” section of the NYTimes. 

Here, I share her essay, “Psychic Who Predicted my Romantic Future”, with you, along with my interview with Chris. The interview questions, for the most part, were taken from the weekly author interview in the Book Review section of, appropriately, the New York Times. Hope you enjoy!

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Q: What book(s) are currently on your nightstand?

A: Currently on my nightstand and in audiobook is ‘The House of Hidden Meanings’ by RuPaul. Just when I thought I knew everything about him by piecing together interviews and appearances, he hits us with this memoir and dives deep into his origins growing up in San Diego and Atlanta. I’ve also had ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ by Sarah J. Maas on my nightstand for months that I can’t seem to finish. This fantastical world, although fun and entertaining, is hard to immerse myself in right now.


Q: What is the last great book you read?

A: I love books that stay with me for a while, and ‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang Did just that. The vivid details of Athena Liu’s death haunted me so much I renewed my CPR certification. I’m also fascinated when we can get insight into a “villian’s” motivation, justifiable or not, and ‘Yellowface’ nailed that, for me.

Another incredible book I read recently was ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. While I don’t agree that our power as women lay in our ovaries (because there are women who don’t have ovaries), I do feel like this book is an amazing representation of the wild feminine spirit.


Q: Are there any classics you just read recently for the first time?

A: I read ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath during the pandemic when I was making my way through a decade-long TBR pile. I hated that I waited so long to read this book because I think had I read it sooner, I wouldn’t have felt so alone in different stages of my younger life when I was making big changes and struggling to fit in. 

Q: Describe your ideal reading experience (where, when, what)?

A: If I’m reading something really good and juicy then it’s all about posture. I need a slightly reclined, firm and tall back chair with a foot stool situation and a microfiber blanket on my legs. If I want to read for hours, I have to be home or I’ll people watch instead. My phone can’t be near me, or I’ll take too many breaks. Earl Grey tea with cream and sugar and a glass of water.

If I’m reading something fun or short, the beach is perfect. Living in LA means I can go most of the year, and I roll around in a small beach tent as I switch from left page to right page. 

Q: What’s your favorite book no one’s ever heard of?

A: ‘War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony’ by Nelson A. Denis is this incredible book that I find no one has read. It is a little niche, and I came to it while researching a script about Puerto Rico that takes place in the 1950s. The book is about the aftermath and fallout of the Nationalist Party attempting an insurrection against the US, the ripple effects the island has endured, and the main players at the time. Denis begins with the US invasion in 1898 and covers all the way to modern day focusing on the territory’s internal struggle with its identity and deciding between Statehood vs. Independence.  

Q: What helped you prepare to write the essay that got in the Times?

A: During the Writer’s Strike, I was laid off from my job and found myself with time to take writing workshops I’d bookmarked. The Writing Pad offered a class on essays, and I had many half-written essays clogging up my Google Drive that I didn’t know what to do with. I took an incredible essay writing class in college and learned so much about how to write the essay itself, but this new class taught me how to submit them to publications. So, I pitched three essays to my workshop and the tarot card reader had the most interest. I received helpful feedback and submitted it in March this year. 

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: I want to be a chef without having to go to a snooty culinary school, which I fear would take the joy out of cooking for me. I want to learn the science behind cooking and how to properly sear on a stainless-steel pan without burning everything. (And if you tell me to wait until it gets hot enough to see the water pearl on the pan, I will close my phone so help me!)

Q: If you could host a literary dinner party and invite any three writers, dead or alive, who would you invite?

A: Selfishly, I would have to invite David Sedaris so he would write about this dinner (and about me), and I could listen to the audiobook because I love his voice.

I’d also invite Louisa May Alcott so she could get a glimpse of the world today. And then I’d slip in that Little Women is my favorite story ever. 

Lastly, Maya Angelou. I had the honor of celebrating her last Christmas with her and her family in her Winston-Salem home in 2013. She had an annual tree trimming party where she would invite my favorite college professor, and he would bring a couple of his students with him. My husband and I were those students and she asked Austin to hang an ornament high up because he was so tall. Over a bowl of chili and some of the best cornbread I’ve ever had, she said a prayer that brought me to tears. At my dinner party, I would tell her just how special that day was for me.

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