Alissa chose to be interviewed by the person who knows her best, 22-year-old sister and diva-in-training, Beth.

B: Remember when you made me put my tongue on the basketball pole in winter?
A: Yes, and I’m sorry.

B: And then you ran away.
A: I came back!

B: No, I had to rip my tongue off first.
A: And I wrote about it in a poem, so it was all worth it, right?

B: I’m glad to see that my pain and suffering was a source of writing inspiration.
A: Well, we didn’t have a lot of pain in our lives so I had to create it.

B: Yes, we had an apple pie life. Everything seemed to happen in the right way.
A: And we were very lucky that our parents left us alone to do whatever we wanted.

B: Like you chasing me and Luke with the pizza cutter.
A: Another good story!

B: (laughs) But mom and dad definitely gave us jobs that helped develop our talents.
A: You mean like doing our own laundry?

B: I was thinking more about our intensive floral design training. You gave garden tours at age five. Mom taught us how to throw a great party, and Dad taught us about good music.
A: I know, I couldn’t have had better training. It’s part of my personality now.

B: What are the secrets? Really, party planning is a very useful life skill—what’s your goal for end of the evening?
A: That everyone is dancing.

B: And how is that different than your goal when you’re working with a client?
A: Not really that different. There’s still dancing. You want to be able to hug everyone when you’re finished with a video.

B: I believe that you are withholding a clandestine formula—much like Burger King’s secret sauce recipe.
A: Okay, okay. I get everyone drunk.

B: Do you recall the first successful event that you planned? I am sure that I was there and had a splendid time.
A: I think it was the Little House on the Prairie-themed birthday that I threw when we were like seven and four. We all dressed in western attire and I think I wanted mom to make something with maize in it, even though I wasn’t sure what it was.

B: What about the most recent successful event?
A: We throw these amazing parties at my work and this past one’s theme was the last day of school. We decorated the building like a high school with books and posters, had a school lunch menu and school-themed music. So many people dressed up, it was awesome.

B: You have a knack for entertaining and celebrating life, yet you allow yourself to work for dead people.
A: (laughs) Yes, we did a Nirvana video eight years after Kurt Cobain died.

B: Was he difficult to work with?
A: The whole thing was pretty incredible. Looking through all the footage—and there was so much of it—we had a hard time finding pictures of him happy. So here we were trying to create a positive homage to this tortured soul with all these people who knew him and cared about him. It was very emotional.

B: Do you ever experience any kind of moral dilemma in your area of work? For instance, do you feel more evil while you are working on something for MTV or working on an advertising spot that will brainwash millions?
A: I never feel bad. Even when I write ads. No matter what, you turn on the TV to be entertained. If you don’t like it, turn it off.

B: I believe our jobs do not completely define our existence. What do you do on Sundays?
A: I love to go to estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores. I’m obsessed with old stuff, and I love the hunt. Then I go to the farmers’ market and I come home and clean my house and cook food and have people over for dinner.

B: Because you’re always having people over.
A: My house is like my studio. I get to practice all the things I like to do there. And my friends are my life. I love keeping in touch with people.

B: Remember Mrs. Risk? Why did we like her?
A: Mrs. Risk was our art teacher in elementary school. Her name said it all—she taught us to take risks. We’d have one-on-one meetings with her to talk about our projects before we started them and she’d get us to try the hardest idea we had. There are so many techniques that she taught me when I was eight that I still use.

B: I can’t ask this question because I was there—but why don’t you tell the good folks out there about your most recent karaoke performance. They need to know where you are coming from, Aliss…
A: (laughs) I sang “Everybody Dance Now” by C+C Music Factory with my roommate Nathan. He sang the girl parts and I did the rap by heart.

B: We live in Hollywood in a house built in 1924, just down the street from one of the most famous places in the world. How does the rebirth of Hollywood and life in Los Angeles continue to inspire your writing and creativity?
A: First of all, this is the most creative place I’ve ever lived. Everybody has a day job and and like six other things they’re pursuing. That’s so me! I love living in Hollywood and I love that I came here and found my way just like everyone else before me. I love that I can walk out of my house and up in the hills and look down and see this vast basin where every big thing that’s happened to me for the past two years has happened. There are so many good stories. And so much beauty. I hope everyone in LA knows that.

B: And now for the most important question—this is the one that will make people crave more information about you—the key to your success…
A: What, like my motto?

B: No. What is your favorite color?
A: The happiest one. Pink.