Interview with Jenna Glatzer, author of
"Celine Dion : for Keeps"

Jenna, you are a professional writer who wrote a number of books on various topics such as Outwriting Writer's Block, Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer. How does Celine's biography fit into your writing career? Did "Celine Dion for Keeps" have an impact on it in any way?

I'm sure it will have an impact on my writing career, but it's a little early to tell in what ways. I have been offered other celebrity projects since then, but I'm already under contract for three other books in the meantime! I'm very honored to be able to include this book in my bio, and my editors are very proud that I got the assignment. But even more important than the impact it has on my career is the impact it's had on my life: Celine is an unforgettable person and friend. Getting to know her has been one of the best experiences I've ever had.

How did you land this project?

An editor was looking through files for a writer who would be appropriate for this book. She came upon my bio and writing samples and offered me the job... unfortunately, she e-mailed me the offer on the day I had just left on my honeymoon! I didn't see the e-mail for 9 days. By the time I got back, she thought I wasn't interested and had assigned the book to someone else. Then a month or two later, she told me that the other writer had to go for surgery and wasn't going to be able to do the book after all-- would I still be interested? You bet!

What were the challenges you faced while writing the book on Celine Dion?

I really didn't know what to expect when I met Celine. I was originally told I would probably just meet her once, and I was a little worried about how I was going to write an entire book about her if I could spend only a couple of hours with her. So before I met her for the first time (in November, 2004), I lined up as many interviews as I could with all the people around her-- producers, staff members, friends, and so on. I thought I might have to base the book mostly around their stories. But it was Celine who changed that. As soon as we met, we hit it off beautifully. She asked, "You're going to come back, right?" I told her I wasn't sure, but we could definitely talk on the phone. She frowned and shook her head (she really hates phone interviews), and I said, "Well... do you *want* me to come back? I know how busy you are..." I ended up going back several times and spending night after night just chatting and laughing with her and with Rene. We often hung out until 3 or 4 in the morning, and the security staff would have to wait around for us to finish before they could close down the theater. It was a blast!

There were none of the challenges I expected-- usually, when you write about celebrities, there are topics that are off-limits, or things they want to "spin" to make them sound good. There was none of this with Celine. She has nothing to hide, and she'll answer anything. So about the only real challenge for me was the word count! I had to edit like crazy to keep the word count down to make room for all the photos and memorabilia. As it is, they had to make the font smaller because I wrote more than I was supposed to. I just couldn't chop out anything else-- it was all too interesting!

In your opinion, how is this book different from other books on Celine Dion?

First, I want to say that I love Georges-Herbert Germaine's book, and the autobiography he helped Celine write. Georges is a terrific writer. One of the things that makes it different for English fans, though, is that the quotes from Celine didn't "sound" like Celine in those books. There's a simple reason: Those books were written in French and translated into English. When Celine speaks in English, it isn't perfect. She has quirky, funny little phrases, and I wanted to preserve that. I didn't want to correct her grammar or make the language more complicated... I wanted to quote Celine just the way she talks. I think that's why a lot of fans are enjoying this book-- they feel like this really sounds like her.

The other main difference is where Celine is right now in terms of her life and career. She's not so worried anymore about saying all the "right" things and projecting this "perfect" image. She wants to speak from the heart and she wants to be real. She's tired of being trapped in her own image. So I caught her at a very interesting time in her life. She was ready to tell me about some of the down-sides of fame and some of the things she doesn't like about herself, in addition to the "secret" wishes she has for the future.

Of course, the other big difference is the format of the book itself. It's full of photos and removable memorabilia. It's a huge book, about the size of an encyclopedia and just as heavy. It's gorgeous! It doesn't attempt to give every detail of her life-- Georges already did a great job of that-- but it focuses more on her personality, charity work, family life, and her current goals and dreams, in addition to her career highlights.

While working on the book you extensively consulted Celine's fans by visiting fan sites, bulleting boards and forums. You also dedicated a part of your personal web site to collect their input. Was it helpful to you?

Very helpful, and very rewarding. I'm still shocked that all celebrity biographers don't do this. It was natural to me-- the book is for fans, so why not ask the fans what they want? I loved getting to hear from fans, because it helped me find out what kinds of questions they wanted her to answer, and what things they're tired of hearing about. I also got their input on things like the title and who they wanted me to interview. Celine fans are terrific. Such a nice group of people, in general. And they've been so supportive of this book and of me. I'm so proud that I could make them happy.

Celinedreams.com compiles and analyzes dreams of Celine's fans. The composite portrait of Celine in those fan dreams is that of a supporting friend, nurturer and a caretaker. It is a reflection of Celine's public image. You interviewed Celine several times in person. What was your impression about the "real" Celine? Does her public and private image coincide?

Yes, in those terms. She's very caring, very nurturing. She's always looking out for others, wanting to take care of people. Every time we did an interview, she'd ask if I was hungry, if I wanted tea, if I was having a good time in Vegas, how my room was... and at one point, my husband got sick. She had half the people on the staff checking in to make sure he was okay, and offering to call in her doctor to do a "housecall" in the hotel!

The one thing about her that doesn't match her public persona is her "naughty" side. She's hilarious! Get her on a roll, and she does biting impressions of people, curses every now and then, moons people... she's not always the sophisticated, polite angel you see on awards shows. When you see her on Oprah and some of the other talk shows, you get more of a peek at her goofy side. That side shows a lot in person.

What was your own perception of Celine as a person before writing "Celine Dion for Keeps"? Did it change after you've met her in person?

Honestly? I didn't expect her to be anywhere near as nice as she is. Anyone can seem nice on television, but a lot of celebrities are egotistical and self-centered off-screen. I didn't expect her to be a jerk, but I certainly didn't expect that she would honestly be down-to-earth and so warm. I figured that anyone who's that famous and rich and has lived in the spotlight for so many years HAS to have an inflated ego... I mean, I think I would! When you constantly have people flocking around you, wanting your autograph, telling you you're the best, flying all over the world just to hear you sing... how could you not start to think you're pretty important? Celine never acts like she's more important than anyone else in the room, though. She is kind to her staff, wonderful to the fans who get a chance to meet her, and was so terrific to my family. She's interested in people, which is why she doesn't do "photo ops"-- she doesn't try to line up 100 fans one after another for quick photos and autographs. Instead, she prefers to spend quality time with just a couple of people each day.

Did Celine tell you about her own (sleep) dreams? Is she a big dreamer?

We didn't talk much about her dreams. I know that she had a lot of dreams while she was pregnant with Rene-Charles, imagining what he (or she!) would be like. She thought he would be cold and independent. Instead, he's the opposite.

What was the most pleasant moment while working on this project?

For me, it was the way she treated my family. I had some of the best times of my life with Celine, but what made it mean so much more for me was to see my family just light up and glow with happiness after meeting her. I brought my parents and my younger brother (who has Down syndrome) on my first trip, and even though she was running late and really pushing her schedule to meet them, she did-- and hugged and kissed them, took pictures, asked about their trip, signed autographs... they will never forget her. She met my husband on later trips, and he was in awe of her, too. He couldn't believe how cool she is. My brother is now a huge fan and is dying to go back to Vegas to see her show again.

You went to see Celine's Las Vegas show "A new day". How was it?

I saw it four times. She's amazing. She puts so much energy into every show. It's visually stunning, which I didn't fully appreciate until the second time I saw it-- the first time, I was just watching her, concentrating on her. After that, I started to pay attention to the dancers, the costumes, the sets... the whole thing is spectacular. But of course, she's the main attraction! One of my favorite things about the show is how she really pays attention to the audience. She listens, she interacts. She makes eye contact with people and waves. That's why she does what she does. When she sees people cry in the audience, it affects her. She feels honored that she can make people feel that deeply. When people get up to dance, she's proud of herself. When they applaud like crazy... it still means something to her. After all these shows and all these standing ovations, it still matters to her.

What are your favourite parts in "Celine Dion for Keeps"?

For the long-time fans, the last chapter is the most important. That's where she talks about what she's still dreaming about doing-- acting, a jazz album, smaller tours... but for me, I think I have two favorite parts: One is the crazy story about the time she stuck clumps of hair down her blouse and under her arms and ran after a tour bus like a raving lunatic, and the other is the part where she actually cried on my shoulder talking about what she would advise a 12-year-old girl making the same declarations as she did about wanting world-wide fame. For me, that was the most poignant moment, and something that affected me profoundly-- partly because it taught me a lesson. I was a stage actress before I was a writer. I got a terrible panic disorder when I was 21 years old and had to quit acting, and for many years, I always felt like a big chance had been stolen from me. "I could have been famous," I thought. I wanted to move to LA, take my big shot at becoming a movie actress... and then I became agoraphobic (housebound). All these years later, Celine took away some of that regret. I don't think I really could have handled fame. I don't think I'm as strong as she is. So right there in that room with her, I realized-- I like exactly where I am right now. I like being a writer. I'm not famous, but I'm well-known in my field, and I'm proud of what I do. I don't think I ever really considered what it would be like to live in the spotlight every day. How hard it would be to lose my privacy and to have people wanting a piece of me all the time, never letting me be a normal wife and mother. She still loves what she does, but there are pieces of her career she could definitely do without. She wants to be allowed to reclaim her schedule and spend more time with her family, yet she knows now that she'll never be able to have a "normal" life. I'm not sure if I could stand that. I wonder if her words will have that effect on other readers.

What's your next project?

I just finished work on Stories of Strength, which is an important project to me... this is an anthology I organized to raise money for disaster relief charities. More than 100 writers contributed essays, short stories, and poems about strength, and all the profits from the book will be split among disaster relief charities like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Please check it out and consider buying a copy for someone on your holiday list! I also just had a children's picture book published: Hattie, Get a Haircut! It's a book for 4-8-year-olds about a girl who refuses to get her hair cut, and the illustrator did a fantastic job! You can find details about that one at my website: jennaglatzer.com. And I have a book for writers, The Street-Smart Writer, coming out in January. Now I'm working on three different books, but they're all ghostwriting projects, which means I'm not allowed to talk about them! Rats! That's the tough part of being a ghostwriter, but I still enjoy the work.

Thank you for taking time to answer our questions!

Thank you for asking! I hope your readers enjoy the book.

You can buy and save up to 34% on your copy of "Celine Dion : for Keeps" in our celinedreams.com boutique in association with amazon.com.