Madeline Hill will be reading at Difficult to Name on Wednesday, November 7
I've got to be honest, if I had known in August when I scheduled this reading that this was gonna be on the day after the election, I probably would have still scheduled it, but I would have been a lot more like, "Eek." How are you doing in the lead up to the election?
I've never been more excited in my entire life to punch some buttons with a pen—I think even more so than in 2016. Now, I am so angry and ready to kick these suckers out of office. Even though I vote in California, it still feels like now, more than ever before, we have to show up and vote. I was writing some postcards to first-time voters recently, and in many of them I opened with, "Don't let these old guys take our rights away from us," and that feels like the most fitting summary of the past two years.
However, with all of this crazy nonsense happening in Washington D.C. everyday, it's made me feel like having a creative outlet is vital. Whether that's writing a funny tweet or drawing a doodle on a notepad, having that source of good ju ju makes the world turn.
What are you working on that you're really excited about?
I'm working on a project based on my time working as a model that I've been editing and re-writing 10,7862 times. Finally, it feels like it's in a place that's both comedic and extremely messed up, which is just how I like it. I'm also debating whether I want to write a new version of my Hills parody script for the reboot. I love Heidi and Spencer dearly and feel like even two years later they are different people—and deserve some good old character development.
In addition to your work as a writer and working for Hello Sunshine, you also helped get a bill passed into law that provides entertainers in California with more protection against sexual harassment in the workplace. What was the process like working toward getting that bill signed into law?
Getting a bill passed is a LONG process. We went up to Sacramento to lobby for this bill in 2016 and it's finally becoming a law in late 2018. In between that time, it took multiple social media campaigns and reaching out to other politicians and "influencers" (I know) to get the word out. It was such an interesting learning experience, because it reminded me why we do the work that we do in the first place. To have people thank us for our work truly has showed us how important it is to stick to what you believe is right. Whether you lobby for reproductive rights or gun control (or both), having any small impact can make a huge difference. You might not think it does, but trust me, even you can get a bill signed into law. Yes, you!