J a n c e e D u n n

Welcome Spring

In honor of my favorite season, I bring you: animal babies!

When I've been writing for too long and derangement sets in, I go on www.zooborns.com and gaze at soothing pictures of furry and scaly newborns from zoos and aquariums around the world.

Here: a clouded leopard cub, from the Smithsonian National Zoo...

....swan cygnets from the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina...

...a Fennec fox from Korea, a nocturnal hunter who will eventually need those large ears....

...and a Sun Bear cub born at the San Diego Zoo.

Now I can return to work.

Baconnaise - the reviews are in. Well, review.

My brother-in-law Patrick, who is an enthusiast of meat products, read my post on baconnaise and promptly ordered a three-pack.

He just left me a message and pronounces it 'awesome.'

Cher

Nothing makes a girl happier than getting an e mail on her website from her "biggest gay fan in Montana." Richard, thank you for writing, and to answer your two questions:

1. You asked if I still had the hunk of Velveeta that Dolly Parton gave me (which I wrote about in my first book.)
I kept it in the freezer for years, wrapped in the same paper towel that Dolly gave me, and then finally it had shrunk down and turned the color of a traffic cone and began to depress me, so I threw it out. I kept the paper towel, though.

2. You asked about the Cher album that I mentioned in the book that has lyrics about bitches and liars. It's from Black Rose, the short-lived band that she formed with her guitarist boyfriend, Les Dudek, I think in 1980 or '79 or thereabouts.

Here are some of the lyrics:

Julie, Julie why do you taunt me
Julie, Julie you're lying
Julie, Julie Why do you haunt me
Julie, oh Julie you lying bitch.

So there you go. Below is my favorite, most fabulous Cher album cover, which is Stars.

New food products

Readers of my first book will recognize my friend Lou, who regularly sends me e mails of new food discoveries (subject line: Mmmmm or Look at the one with the raspberry creme.) Now I finally have one to send to him: Baconnaise. Yes, bacon-flavored mayonnaise, and why didn't anyone think of it sooner? As the website says:

Baconnaise™ is a smooth, bacony addition to sandwiches, salads, dips, sauces, chicken, fish and fries. And it also is a great addition to any recipes that call for regular mayonnaise.

Here is one of the recipes that the website helpfully provides. Make it tonight!

The “No-B-L-T”

* Lettuce
* Tomato
* Baconnaise™
* White bread, preferably toasted

One of my favorite interviews of all time

...was Stevie Nicks. I've chatted with her on four different occasions and she's always a pleasure - funny, warm, candid, opinionated. Like my other all-time favorite interview subjects (Dolly Parton, James Brown) Stevie is an original. There is no successor to Stevie.

Do you believe she's 60 years old? I read that she's prepping for the upcoming Fleetwood Mac tour and it prompted me to go on her website, www.nicksfix.com and head to the "Ask Stevie" section.

Highlights below:

Question 130 - from Judy in Saint Cloud MN

Hi Stevie!
Do you have a myspace.com page?

Stevie's answer:

Hi Judy, no I don’t. I think they are evil. Seriously, I think myspace.com has the potential to be a very dangerous site.

Question 118 - from Carmen in Toronto:

Hey Stevie,
I'm a huge fan and I love your work. And I was just wondering... how do you like to celebrate Halloween?

Stevie's answer:

I love Halloween! This year I went to a place called the Magical Castle in Los Angeles. (This is just the kind of answer you hope for. Of course she went to a place called Magical Castle.)

Question 46 - from Jake Wolfson:

Stevie,
What books have found their way onto your nightstand lately, and which ones in particular have influenced your recent songwriting?

Love,
Jake Wolfson

Stevie's answer:

The complete works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Question 125 - from Sonny G. in Jefferson, WI:

What is your favorite scary movie?

Stevie's answer:

The Haunting of Hill House

No, there will never be another Stevie.