Interview With Bacon Author Heather Lauer
There are some pioneers out there in the bacosphere -- Jimmy Dean, Porky Pig, and others. Today we provide you with some insight from one of the leaders: Heather Lauer.
A few years ago Heather began writing on her blog, BaconUnWrapped (you can always find links to the top bacon bloggers here on our site). That led to her opportunity to write a her just published bacon chronicle "Bacon: A Love Story," which you can purchase here.
Over a kettle of bacon we recently caught up with Lauer to talk life, love, bacon, and a side of bacon.
BI: So how does a nice gal like you become intensely immersed in the most magical meat known to our species?
HL: Like many people, bacon is a food I've been familiar with most of my life. I didn't eat it a lot growing up, but it was always a part of special memories such as breakfasts on holidays or on a club sandwich after a hot summer day of swimming in the pool. So I was having a few drinks with my brothers one night a few years ago, and somehow we got on the topic of bacon and all the wonderful ways to enjoy it. Then we started talking about creating some sort of website dedicated to our favorite meat. When I woke up the next day and was sober I still thought that was a good idea (perhaps the first time that has ever happened), so I logged on to blogger.com and the rest is history!
BI: What was the inspiration behind the book? Besides money.
HL: The book actually isn't something I was thinking about doing when I started the blog. I started the blog as a creative outlet and had no plans for it whatsoever. I was approached by a book packager about doing the book together, and it sounded like fun and a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn't pass up. In the beginning, I had absolutely no idea what writing a book would entail, and in some ways that was probably a good thing. But it has been a fun adventure and I'm definitely glad I did it.
BI: Tells us about the experience in writing the book. How long did it take? What did the research entail? How much weight did you gain?
HL: The entire process of putting the book together from proposal to final edits was a little over 2 years, although the bulk of the writing happened over a 4-month period. I did some of the research over the Internet and by reading other materials, but honestly most of what I learned was from talking to the dozens of people from the Bacon Nation who I interviewed for the book. Bacon: A Love Story is really about them. One of the challenging things about writing the book is that I got hungry every time I sat down at my computer to start typing - I really did have to discipline myself so that I didn't suddenly find myself frying up bacon for a BLT at 11 pm!
BI: In the end, what do you really hope to accomplish with the book?
HL: My only goal when I started BaconUwrapped.com in 2005 was to have fun. And how can you not have fun when bacon is involved? That has been my one and only priority behind everything bacon-related that I've done ever since, including the book. So I hope to continue having fun with bacon through the book. I'm throwing a series of Bacon Nation book parties around the country this summer. I've met some great people because of my bacon affiliation over the last couple years, and through the Bacon Nation book events I'm looking forward to having an awesome summer of meeting many more fellow bacon lovers around the United States."
BI: There’s been a lot of discussion in the bacon community that the so called “Swine Flu” was actually just an evil attack on our baconist way of life by the communists at PETA. What do you think?
HL: I'm in favor of any opportunity to take a jab at PETA. So sure, I'm on board with that theory.
BI: We heard a rumor in The Star magazine that you were walking down 6th Avenue in Manhattan and you passed by a Muslim and a Jew who were wrestling on the sidewalk over the fate of a Palestinian state. When they saw you, the Muslim yelled out, “There’s that bacon propaganda she-devil woman! Let’s kill her Moshi! And the Jewish man threw a kosher pickle at you. Is that true?
HL: It was actually a matzah ball, not a pickle.
BI: Bacon has a lot of uses. The staff at the Bacon Institute lines our pants with it. What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever found yourself doing with bacon?
HL: Bathing in it. Seriously, there is someone who sells bacon bath salts on the internet. Of course I had to try them - it's my duty!
BI: So you are one of the early adaptors into the bacon social media spectrum. Tell us about some of the experiences you’ve had and the connections you’ve made in the online bacon universe.
HL: The connections have by far been the best thing about writing my blog. There truly is a Bacon Nation and almost everyone who engages in it is a fun-loving, positive person. I've "virtually" met hundreds of people via the blog through comments, emails, etc, but the best experiences were those where I finally met - in person - people I'd been interacting with online for years. For example, at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines earlier this year, I finally got to met Mr. Baconpants - we've both been blogging about bacon for several years but had never met. Also, in doing research for my book, I drove cross country and met several bacon producers along the way - they may not be part of the online community, but they are obviously an integral part of the Bacon Nation and they are just as fun as the people I meet on my blog!
BI: Tell us about a favorite bacon recipe?
HL: You have not experienced true happiness until you've had a bacon wrapped tater tot.
BI: What about some of your favorite bacon products?
HL: There are a lot of entertaining bacon products out there that have been good for a laugh, but I must say the bacon bandaids have actually come in very handy on several occasions. So from a strict utility standpoint, they are probably the best bacon product I've encountered so far!
BI: Do you ever find yourself dreaming of bacon and waking up in a cold sweat? That, or dreaming of James Brown and waking up trying to take thin slices out of your belly with a sharp knife.
HL: When I dream about bacon, I wake up in a hot, greasy sweat. Ok, that may have been too much information...
A few years ago Heather began writing on her blog, BaconUnWrapped (you can always find links to the top bacon bloggers here on our site). That led to her opportunity to write a her just published bacon chronicle "Bacon: A Love Story," which you can purchase here.
Over a kettle of bacon we recently caught up with Lauer to talk life, love, bacon, and a side of bacon.
BI: So how does a nice gal like you become intensely immersed in the most magical meat known to our species?
HL: Like many people, bacon is a food I've been familiar with most of my life. I didn't eat it a lot growing up, but it was always a part of special memories such as breakfasts on holidays or on a club sandwich after a hot summer day of swimming in the pool. So I was having a few drinks with my brothers one night a few years ago, and somehow we got on the topic of bacon and all the wonderful ways to enjoy it. Then we started talking about creating some sort of website dedicated to our favorite meat. When I woke up the next day and was sober I still thought that was a good idea (perhaps the first time that has ever happened), so I logged on to blogger.com and the rest is history!
BI: What was the inspiration behind the book? Besides money.
HL: The book actually isn't something I was thinking about doing when I started the blog. I started the blog as a creative outlet and had no plans for it whatsoever. I was approached by a book packager about doing the book together, and it sounded like fun and a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn't pass up. In the beginning, I had absolutely no idea what writing a book would entail, and in some ways that was probably a good thing. But it has been a fun adventure and I'm definitely glad I did it.
BI: Tells us about the experience in writing the book. How long did it take? What did the research entail? How much weight did you gain?
HL: The entire process of putting the book together from proposal to final edits was a little over 2 years, although the bulk of the writing happened over a 4-month period. I did some of the research over the Internet and by reading other materials, but honestly most of what I learned was from talking to the dozens of people from the Bacon Nation who I interviewed for the book. Bacon: A Love Story is really about them. One of the challenging things about writing the book is that I got hungry every time I sat down at my computer to start typing - I really did have to discipline myself so that I didn't suddenly find myself frying up bacon for a BLT at 11 pm!
BI: In the end, what do you really hope to accomplish with the book?
HL: My only goal when I started BaconUwrapped.com in 2005 was to have fun. And how can you not have fun when bacon is involved? That has been my one and only priority behind everything bacon-related that I've done ever since, including the book. So I hope to continue having fun with bacon through the book. I'm throwing a series of Bacon Nation book parties around the country this summer. I've met some great people because of my bacon affiliation over the last couple years, and through the Bacon Nation book events I'm looking forward to having an awesome summer of meeting many more fellow bacon lovers around the United States."
BI: There’s been a lot of discussion in the bacon community that the so called “Swine Flu” was actually just an evil attack on our baconist way of life by the communists at PETA. What do you think?
HL: I'm in favor of any opportunity to take a jab at PETA. So sure, I'm on board with that theory.
BI: We heard a rumor in The Star magazine that you were walking down 6th Avenue in Manhattan and you passed by a Muslim and a Jew who were wrestling on the sidewalk over the fate of a Palestinian state. When they saw you, the Muslim yelled out, “There’s that bacon propaganda she-devil woman! Let’s kill her Moshi! And the Jewish man threw a kosher pickle at you. Is that true?
HL: It was actually a matzah ball, not a pickle.
BI: Bacon has a lot of uses. The staff at the Bacon Institute lines our pants with it. What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever found yourself doing with bacon?
HL: Bathing in it. Seriously, there is someone who sells bacon bath salts on the internet. Of course I had to try them - it's my duty!
BI: So you are one of the early adaptors into the bacon social media spectrum. Tell us about some of the experiences you’ve had and the connections you’ve made in the online bacon universe.
HL: The connections have by far been the best thing about writing my blog. There truly is a Bacon Nation and almost everyone who engages in it is a fun-loving, positive person. I've "virtually" met hundreds of people via the blog through comments, emails, etc, but the best experiences were those where I finally met - in person - people I'd been interacting with online for years. For example, at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines earlier this year, I finally got to met Mr. Baconpants - we've both been blogging about bacon for several years but had never met. Also, in doing research for my book, I drove cross country and met several bacon producers along the way - they may not be part of the online community, but they are obviously an integral part of the Bacon Nation and they are just as fun as the people I meet on my blog!
BI: Tell us about a favorite bacon recipe?
HL: You have not experienced true happiness until you've had a bacon wrapped tater tot.
BI: What about some of your favorite bacon products?
HL: There are a lot of entertaining bacon products out there that have been good for a laugh, but I must say the bacon bandaids have actually come in very handy on several occasions. So from a strict utility standpoint, they are probably the best bacon product I've encountered so far!
BI: Do you ever find yourself dreaming of bacon and waking up in a cold sweat? That, or dreaming of James Brown and waking up trying to take thin slices out of your belly with a sharp knife.
HL: When I dream about bacon, I wake up in a hot, greasy sweat. Ok, that may have been too much information...
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