The Fabulous Lorraine

When we admire a famous person, generally we don’t remember that on the “backstage” there is someone working to make things happen like they should. One of these people is “The Fabulous Lorraine”, Mr. Neil Gaiman’s P.A.  She not only takes care of the things involving here “Boss” (how she calls him), but also finds time to have a band, deal with bees, rescue cats, keep a blog and “twittes” about all of this, besides many other activities (like to have insane dreams, how you will be able to see). Take a look at the exclusive interview “The Fab Lorraine” gave to us.

M: Besides your activity as a PA, you do so many things (music, horses, bees, blog, etc). How do you find time for all those things, working with someone like Gaiman (that looks kind of compulsive/intense in everything he does, in our opinion, of course)? And, how do you find time for yourself?
F.L: That's a tricky one. Working for Neil is a very full time job. I don't have hours I work exactly, it's more I take time when there is time. It's very important to have that ME time. Music is a great way to go and have fun and be something else, same with horses. Neil travels a lot and when he is gone, I work when I need to, which could be at night, or very early in the morning, then take some time for me.

M: About the bees. Are you a beekeeper too or it’s Just something you help Gaiman doing? How is to deal with them?
F.L.: I was TERRIFIED of bees! He wanted them and I told him for years, you get a beekeeper, I am NOT doing this.

Pic by : Kyle Cassidy

We finally got our friend the Birdchick who wanted to learn, and sent her to Bee School, but when it came time to install the hives, Neil was gone (See?) and I couldn't let my friend do this alone, and there I was, covered in Bees!
Facing a fear like that made me much stronger. I came out of it a different person, is the best way I can describe it.  Now I work with them happily.

M: Once Gaiman wrote in his blog that every time someone asks him what he would be if he wasn’t a writer, he doesn’t know what to say. But he somehow found out that he would love to “certify places as elf-free”. And you? What would it be your “dream job”?
F.L.:  I'm not sure either. I used to dream about everything I wanted, and now I start those dreams and think "Ah, you have that" If I could do anything I think I would save every cat in the world, and keep them with me. A country of cats, where they would all live together happily, with me as their Queen.

M: You made a list of 10 things people shouldn’t send to their favorite writer. Was this list based on your personal experience? Just being “evil”… what was the weirdest thing you saw someone sending?
F.L.: A Giant 6 foot Pig. Not a real one. It came in a huge box from far away, only it's had split, and all the stuffing had come out. I was never sure where it came from, or why. It was just a box of the Pig form, and little Styrofoam balls. I always wondered at the story behind that, and tried to get it back together, but it was beyond me.

M: What’s the best thing about being a PA? And the worst?
F.L.: I love making things WORK. I love it when things go perfectly, setting up a trip, pulling something off.
The worst? When they don't work. That's horrible. Making a mistake, even if you didn't see that one coming is the very worst.
If 1000 cats dream, maybe her dream come true.

M: Let’s talk a little about music. When and how did your “life as a musician” start? What’s your band “style”? Do you have CDs? Or are you planning a CD? What are your influences?
F.L.: I've always loved music, and performing, since I was very young, it was all I pretty much wanted to do, my parents were against it, and I had to fight to be able to learn.
I played with author Emma Bull for many years in a band called the Flash Girls, and we did 3 cd's before she moved across country. Lots of Celtic influence and Neil songs. Loved it.
After that, I played with several bands, and am currently in a pub type Irish/alt Irish band called "Paul and Lorraine" Great name, eh? I don't have the time to tour, so we are pretty local.
I'd like to do another cd, and may be starting to record, just myself, and I will have them available a song or two at a time on my website. That way I can really make them MINE. The last couple cd's I've made didn't turn out to be enough what I wanted, and if I do more, it will be ME.
Oysterband is my first fav band, out of the UK, love what they do. But I love most music if it is GOOD. Everything from Lady Gaga to things no one has ever heard of. Yet.

M: How was born “the fabulous”? Was something Boss came up with?

F.L.: Nope. Started when I was on a Flash Girl Tour, someone left a message on their Machine "If you want the Fabulous Lorraine she is signing at..." and it stuck.

M: With which one of these “wicked women” from Sandman do you identify yourself: Hippolyta Hall (unconscious instrument of “the wickedness”), Tessaly (the resented love) or "The Kindly Ones" (we are just doing our job)?
F.L.: Oh my, no idea! I think I am that little cat who listened to the story at the gathering of cats...I'm that grown up.

M: Is there any “wicked woman” (real or in fiction, not necessarily on a Gaiman’s book) that you think is interesting?  
F.L.: Queen Elizabeth the first of England. She's not wicked, but when you read about her life, what she did, that she lived even, was amazing, in a time when women didn't have any options. She did it on her terms, against all odds. I like that.
Wicked...Hmm...It's all perspective, I mean maybe they were simply misunderstood. I liked Freya, from the Norse legands, as she was another who did whatever she had to, to get what she wanted, she didn't care.
Cats in a Gaiman Book

M: When are you tempted to be “evil”? Or… when do you exercise your “evil side”?
F.L.: Ah. Very easy. When I had only been working a few years for Neil, I got very irritated with someone who wanted something from him, and they were not treating me very nicely, and I complained to Neil about this irritating fellow, and he said “Feel free to abuse your power. You have this power. They need to go thru you to get to me. If they piss you off, you can stop them."
I have done it a few times. Evil? Yes, but if you make me mad, you aren't getting to him. It's that simple. Always get the assistant on your side. They can make things happen. Or not.

M: Now, changing completely the subject, and just being evil: how is the current situation with the dreams about Simon Cowell? And, for real, where the hell do you think these dreams came up?
F.L.: No idea! They stopped after about a week. I don't watch his show, don't have a Thing for him. He just kept showing up! Wonder what the message WAS?

M: Just for curiosity: how many cats do you have and only Bengals?
F.L.: I have five Bengals now. I love them. They are pretty special cats, and I could go on forever on them! I had 2 of my own before getting into rescue, and now 3 that came to us, that have stayed.
Anyone considering a Bengal needs to really know what they are getting into. Some, especially the early generation ones, have some special needs. They are really smart, really active, and need a lot from their people. They aren't lap cats. 
If you love them tho, they are worth it.
Mine are Freaky Venus and Madame Mim (F4, considered domestic) Magic (F1, half Asian Leopard Cat) King Lear the Huge (F2) and his friend Little Queen Mab (F4) They live in three separate areas of my house.

M: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a PA?
L: Check your ego. You aren't the talent.,. You will work and work, and then some, pull off the impossible daily and then wake up and do it again. And that's how it should be. If something goes wrong, and it will, fix it.
If you need daily confirmation and petting that you are doing right, this isn't for you. They appreciate you, you have to know this, but it is your JOB to make it perfect. And if it isn't, then you will hear about it.
But your Boss will know how much you do. And they can't function without you, just remember that, and then, at some point, you will realize just how much. And it is worth everything.

M: Feel free to ad anything you want and that you think is really cool in your life or your career.
F.L.: I love my life. I love being Neil's assistant, the Bengals, the Bees, the Horses, the music. If I had something wise to say to anyone, I think it would be: Go for it. Whatever it is. If you have always wanted something, do it. You make not get it, or it may take you elsewhere than you thought, but you will never know if you don't try, will you?
Do you want to know more about "The Fabulous Lorraine" ? Visit her blog or follow her on Twitter (@fabulouslorrain)

The pictures of the cats, are of "A Dream of a Thousand Cats", part of Sandman, a book of Neil Gaiman