Why are people so obsessed with the show?

Well, it’s high art but totally accessible. Top notch writing, complex characters, high stakes historical moment. It’s like a visual novel or a really sexy play. But it’s on TV so it’s relaxing to consume! Also, I think the narrative is engrossing because, you know, we’re so anxious right now! There are these slow rolling cultural shifts that are happening right beneath our feet. Similarly to rumbling Don and the feet of his cohorts.

Tell me about the book.

There all these historical elements floating around in each episode, adding to the overall mood and motif of the show. I want to grab them all and put them in one place, not just because I love the show but because I’m also fascinated by midcentury society, its social mores, politics, design, etc. So the book will use Mad Men as vehicle to explore and catalogue that time in our history. It will be handsome both in look and verse with tons of new stuff.

Most of the actors in Mad Men came from left field. Do you think the show would be the same if Don was played by a marquee name?

Ooo going with lesser known actors was a great move. I feel strangely uprooted when I see them out of their suits. They are also such fine actors that I never feel like they are acting!

What would Betty Friedan say about Betty Draper?

I’m sure she would shake Betts by the shoulders and scream, “is this all?!?” But I think Betty really just needs a friend more than a pamphlet. Oh, Betty! She’s the most complex character of the show, I veer between thinking of her as villain and victim.

Who does the best post show analysis? Slate?

Slate has wonderful dish, it’s a must. The AV Club is my favorite for commentary. Also Basket of Kisses is a kicky site that puts a great emphasis on the ladies of Mad Men. Also, artist Dyna Mo! She created the Mad Men Yourself site for AMC and does beautiful illustrations of a scene from Mad Men once a week on her flickr site.

Why is the date of Roger Sterling’s daughter’s upcoming wedding significant?

Oh dear. Events at a parade in Dallas are going to overshadow her special day and put a general damper on you know, THE COUNTRY.

Why Meditations in an Emergency?

Ah, what a glorious choice! Totally risky, right? But what a great payoff. So many reasons. Ok, let’s start with the title. It just taps right into the sense of slow moving dread and forced introspection of Don Draper and the whole mood of the show. Also, O’Hara’s verses are so wry and punchy, so easily digestible that it reads like the best ad copy and vice versa.