Gary
Barg: What
kind of responses
are you getting to
the Web site and
your writing?
Julie
Newmar:
Ninety-nine percent
positive. A few
years ago I wrote a
book called The
Conscious Catwoman
Explains Life on
Earth, which is very
funny. It is about
50 pages of epigrams
for when your life
goes bad. I give you
a little sentence or
two. You can cut it
out if you like or
write it on a piece
of paper and stick
it on your ice box
door to remind you
how to perk up your
life. I just had
such fun putting
this together. I
call it the very
last “how to” book.
Gary
Barg: You
are a very gifted
comedian. Anybody
who reads your
writing or sees you
knows that, and
obviously the
Catwoman character
was always very
funny; but that was
not how you started
out, was it?
Julie
Newmar: Oh,
no. I have always
been the comedian
because my first
career was as a
pianist. I had a
concert pianist that
I worked with and
when you learn
timing, that then
applies to acting
and especially to
comedy; because to
reach people, you
have to touch them.
To touch them, you
have to tell the
truth that is
universal, or at
least between you
and them. Therefore,
laughter is the
force that comes
from that moment of
truth as it hits the
body. So there is
nothing greater in
the God-force, let
us say, then
laughter. That is at
least the second
best thing you will
ever have in life.
Love is the first
dominant. There is
not anything better
than to act kindly
in this world.
Gary
Barg: Well,
laughter brings
everything up, opens
everything up.
Julie
Newmar: You
cannot NOT laugh.
People already know
how to do that. You
do not teach them
that.
Gary
Barg: Yes.
And truly there are
some things that
only a caregiver
will laugh at
because it is an
inside joke—you
absolutely know what
is real and it is
funny and it is
true.
Julie
Newmar:
Everything is funny
if you will allow
it; if you squeeze
up, get tight, try
to force against it,
forget it. You are
just going to have
another disaster.
Now if you like
disasters, you can
keep on practicing
them.
Gary
Barg: Do
you have one piece
of advice that you
could leave a
caregiver with?
Julie
Newmar: Do
not tighten up. To
me, the word joy is
just painted on the
inside of my
eyeballs. I try to
find that in places,
things and people.
We have covered it
all in what we have
been talking about,
but a piece of
advice—just keep on
loving.
