James Othmer Interviewed

Ernie Schenck interviews James Othmer about his new novel The Futurist and his time in the advertising industry, at Schenck’s blog “Ernie Schenck Calls This Advertising?”.

Q: I’m Malcolm Gladwell. I’ve just read The Futurist. Should I be offended?

A: If he only skims it and makes a “Blink” judgement he may well be pissed. If he reads the whole thing and sees that this isn’t some hatchet job on an incredibly valuable and interesting profession/industry, but a SATIRE that takes on a hell of a lot more than futurists, I think he’d be cool with it.

The Futurist began its life as a short story in the Fall 2004 issue of VQR and was later named a finalist for a National Magazine Award in Fiction.