Introducing Little Willow

I've been searching for an image to accompany my conversation with Little Willow, and at last I have settled on this—a girl with the whole wide world in her hands, a bastion of yellow. For that, in my mind, is who Little Willow is, an unusually supercharged cultural sprite who reads a book a day while designing web sites and listening to music, her dance shoes by the door, her cats and what I imagine to be a pup milling about by the window sill. Little Willow's industry—as a critic, as a performer, as an encourager—is astonishing, but more astonishing, and important, is the quality of what she produces, the consideration she gives to the work at immediate hand. Visit her web site, read her blog, her reviews, her interviews, and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.slayground.net/yourgirl/

You have published non-fiction, published music, appeared on panels, sat on editorial boards, designed masterful web sites and icons, referenced an absolute love of musical theater, talked about dancing, and published more book reviews on sites like GoodReads and Amazon than anyone I know. What do you count as your greatest achievement?

Being a good daughter, a good sister, and a good friend, and being true to myself.

Your second greatest achievement?

I am not certain. There are many things I'd like to achieve, and I'm looking forward to making those things happen.

How do you focus on the pace, flow, feeling of a book (because most books I know take a while to read, and a silent place in which to read them) while keeping your finger on the pulse of so many other things?

I've always moved at a rapid pace: I think, read, speak, and walk quickly. On average, I read a book a day. Unless I am asleep, I am constantly multi-tasking.

Early in your career you took an exquisite interest in Buffy the Vampire Slayer? What was it about that series that so thoroughly captivated you?

I've always enjoyed supernatural stories and shows that were thoughtful and creative, such as TheTwilight Zone and The X-Files, rather than those which were gory and free of substance. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a lot to say about the world and about people, using monsters as metaphors for very real fears. I feel as though it was strongest and most poignant in seasons two and three. The show - along with the aforementioned series and additional works - left an impression on me, and fueled my already-present (lifelong!) interest in both the genre and in making my own television series (and other stories).

Is Little Willow a brand? An idea? A sign?

Little Willow is my screen name online. The first day I signed online was in early 1997, shortly after BtVS started airing. When I visited the BtVS website and saw the posting board there, I realized that I needed an online handle. (I knew that, for safety's sake, people used screen names rather than posting real names online.) I quickly decided upon Little Willow, with Willow being the name of a character on the show, adding Little simply because I was younger and shorter than the actress who portrayed her. At that time, I was glad to see a character who celebrated book smarts and school smarts and embraced her intelligence rather than being ashamed of it. Sadly, Willow took what I felt was a downhill course in later seasons. Though I no longer related to the character, I kept the username because I was known for it by that point, and everything I'd done online was associated with it.

What is art to you? What is the perfect song, the perfect story? For what do you preserve the five-star review?

Art cannot be qualified nor quantified definitively. It comes in so many different forms, and means different things to different people. To me, art is many things, including the forms I pursue, such as singing, dancing, acting, and writing, and those I appreciate but don't engage in (or haven't had the chance to really try yet), such as photography and painting. I salute anyone who is creative, original, especially those who see or think of things that others don't initially perceive or understand, then do something to enable the world to see it or learn it - Talent, enthusiasm and knowledge are gifts meant to be shared.... If I give a book, an album, or a film five stars, I found the piece meaningful, I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I think it is truly good.

You have such a broad range of favorites listed on your site—fascinating touchstone works. Talk a little bit about music who you love to listen to, and why.

My favorite contemporary singer-songwriters are the Duncan Sheik and Jonatha Brooke. My favorite Duncan song: She Runs Away. My favorite Jonatha album: Ten Cent Wings. I'm musical theatre girl, as you know. I'd much rather watch Singin' in the Rain than listen to mainstream radio. :) Oh, I'll stop myself now, because if I don't, I'm just going to keep rattling off bands and artists like Velvet Chain (best album: Moody Groove Music), Jimmy Eat World, Nickel Creek (first album), Holly Brook, Ricky Nelson (now THERE's a truly Best of album), Amy Studt, John Barry (I still can't find the album I want, his soundtrack to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Bernard Herrmann...

Where have you never been that you want to someday be?

In order to work with Gene Kelly during the heydays of MGM or visit Ancient Egypt, I'd need a time machine. Perhaps I'll run into the Doctor and take a trip on the TARDIS. (Or perhaps I'll just appear on the show Doctor Who. I would love that!) Realistically, I don't have a big desire to travel. If I make it as a singer, perhaps I'll tour. Though I'm not a big city girl and couldn't see myself living in New York for fun, I could be there for business, as I hope to have the opportunity to perform on Broadway someday! I want to work in film and television in addition to appearing in plays and musicals, so I'll go where those take me, but home is where the heart is, I think.

Where would you never go?

Any place that compromised my morals, comfort, or health, or that of others.