hp presents a "true visionary"

In this modern age, where life moves at the speed of light—and so does creativity—what does it take to be ahead of the curve? HP talks to award-winning writer-director-producer Diane English, an entertainment visionary who is pushing the envelope with a combination of talent, inspiration, and the wireless capabilities of the HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One.


HP: Tell us a little bit about your background. Where are you from?
DE: I was born in Buffalo, New York, and went to Buffalo State College with the intention of getting a degree in secondary education. However, since (I was) a child, I loved to write. While in college, my mentor, Warren Enters, an esteemed theater director in New York City, came to teach theater as a break from directing. I took one of his classes and it changed my life. He convinced me that I should have a career in the theater as a playwright. I graduated with my teaching degree, taught for one semester, and then realized it was not where my heart was. I packed up and moved to New York City to pursue a life in the theater. After a year as, literally, a starving playwright, I landed an entry-level job in public television and that is where I began to merge my love of writing with the broadcast industry.


HP: You've won three Emmys®, a Golden Globe®, a Peabody®, and three Writers Guild® Awards—absolutely incredible achievements. How would you describe your work aesthetic and what, in your opinion, makes your work so innovative, original, appealing?
DE: You can add to that list the Women In Film Crystal Award which I received this year for excellence in filmmaking. I'm particularly proud of that one. I tend to be attracted to material that is female-centric. I find that a woman's unique point of view in the world is not very well-represented. They say write about what you know, and I believe in that. I think for writing to be unique and original it has to be very personal. It has to come from the gut. I think it is very, very important to live as well-rounded a life as possible—otherwise you dry up creatively. You have no new experiences to draw upon.


HP: You've had a rich professional history. What was your first job in the industry?
DE: My first paying job in the industry was in 1971 after I had lived in New York City for a while trying to make a living as a playwright. I was hired as a secretary to a woman who ran a division in public television that provided copies of PBS programming to schools and other institutions. I took home $90 a week (talk about entry level!), and could barely afford a tiny studio apartment. I saved money by not having a phone for a year and living off hot dogs and cereal. But I was living on my own in New York City, and I always look back on that time as the happiest in my life. The woman I worked for wound up introducing me to my future husband and was matron of honor at our wedding.


HP: You were, at one time, a columnist for Vogue. How does writing for a print publication differ from writing for a television series? Which do you prefer?
DE: I did a three-year stint as the television correspondent for Vogue magazine in the late 70's. It was a freelance job so I got to work from home. But once a month, I would go to the Vogue offices to turn my column into the legendary editor, Leo Lerman. That was always pretty anxiety provoking because Mr. Lerman was such a stickler, and I also never felt I was dressed well enough! There isn't much of a comparison between that job and writing for television or films. I was a reporter for Vogue. I conducted interviews, screened TV shows, and wrote about them. When you write for film or television you are free to make it all up, to create characters from scratch, to let your imagination run wild. These are not good characteristics in a journalist. Although you wouldn't know it watching some of these broadcasters lately.


HP: Your most recent project and theatrical debut was The Women, a film that was 13 years in the making. Why you were so dedicated to bringing your version of this classic story to the big screen? What about it appealed to you?
DE: It took a very long time to bring this new version of The Women to the screen because it was an all-female cast. A cast without a male movie star in it is, unfortunately, a liability these days. But I was determined to get it done because I really wanted to see our great A-list actresses working together on screen as an ensemble—the way they did in the original 1939 version. I was told over and over that it could never be done. But we did it.


HP: What was your favorite part of working on the film: screenwriting, directing, or producing?
DE: My favorite part of making the film was working as a team with my cast and my crew. It took an enormous amount of teamwork on everyone's part to complete the movie on time and on budget. I like problem-solving and every day presented a new set of problems—some of which seemed insurmountable at times. It's amazing that any movies get made at all. It is really an endurance test. The adrenaline is pumping nonstop for a year and a half of your life, from pre-production, to production, then post-production, and release. There is really no room for anything else other than the making of the film. I'm looking forward to starting a new project because my first love is writing, and I am really ready to start a new relationship between myself and the blank page.


HP: From where do you draw your inspiration?
DE: It's important to leave space in your brain for new ideas. That's one of my biggest challenges—just finding head-clearing time. I like to occasionally just unplug from everything and see what pops into my consciousness. It's always good to live a life—take a road trip, get out and meet new people, keep yourself open to new experiences. You never know where that great new character is going to come from, or that amazing story.


HP: Who or what are your major influences and why?
DE: My work tends to have social or political undertones. I like to tell a smallish story that plays out against a bigger picture. For instance, Murphy Brown (the title character of the series Murphy Brown) was a working woman trying to forge her path in life—but she was doing it on a world stage.


HP: What are your passions?
DE: My greatest passion is my work. I'm lucky that way. I love what I do, and the fact that I continue to get to do it is just bliss.


HP: Who are your favorite filmmakers, writers, photographers, artists, and why?
DE: I am a great admirer of Mike Nichols. The Graduate remains my favorite film of all time because it changed filmmaking in so many ways. (And) I collect early California Impressionist art. Every time I look at one of those paintings, it takes me to an era that was so much simpler. If I could come back as anyone, it would be (director) Billy Wilder. He really had the right idea about things—including the martinis at the end of the day.


HP: You're a fan of the HP Photosmart All-in-One. What about the Photosmart appeals to you most? How does its capabilities—the ability to print professional-quality images, to print without cords and without your PC, among others—impact where and how you work?
DE: I have one in my home office in Los Angeles, and one in my home in Martha's Vineyard where I do a lot of writing during the summer. It does everything well, and I can literally be out on the porch writing and never have to lug my computer back inside to print out. My porch looks out over a beautiful pond. Nobody would want to leave that view if they didn't have to.


HP: What projects are you working on now and what do you have coming up"
DE: I'm working on multiple things right now. I completed a screen adaptation of Erica Jong's seminal novel, Fear of Flying, and an original comedy about the first male First Lady. And I'm doing some background research for an original screenplay about tabloid journalism. But (that) story is top secret!