Diary
Three Questions for… Jo Piazza
In the latest installment of Three Questions for—in which we cross-examine some of our favorite cultural figures—we met with international bestselling author Jo Piazza on the occasion of the forthcoming publication of her novel The Parisian Heist, from which an exclusive excerpt appears in Issue 16 of Ursula.
What book is on your nightstand?
I have a book on my nightstand that I pick up and read a chapter at a time because it brings me joy and hope. It's Glynnis MacNicol’s I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, which is about one woman's adventure seeking pleasure in Paris.
What object would you smuggle home from a museum?
This is hard because when we revealed the cover for The Parisian Heist, the Louvre heist had literally just happened that morning. So, I mean, what object have I smuggled out of a museum?! In my book, there's a heist involving some of the smaller Van Goghs in the Musée d'Orsay, and I would just love to have one of those ...
If you could only bring one music album to your desert island, what would that be?
It would be the soundtrack to Mamma Mia!. Because if you're alone on an island, you just want to dance. We'd clearly be dancing to "Dancing Queen," then "Mamma Mia," and finally a little bit of "Voulez-Vous" around sunset.
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Jo Piazza is the author of twelve books, including The Sicilian Inheritance, and the host of the critically acclaimed podcast Under the Influence. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, among other publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three feral children.