Becky Holland: If I Ever Interviewed John Grisham

By Becky Holland

Most recently, I saw a graphic on Facebook that asked a simple question:

“What would you ask John Grisham?”

As a journalist, you would think I’d have a profound answer ready.

After all, I’ve spent more than 30 years asking questions. I’ve interviewed governors, mayors, sheriffs, school superintendents, business owners, teachers, athletes, and everyday folks with extraordinary stories.

But if I ever had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite authors, I’d probably skip right over the questions everyone else asks.

Instead, I’d ask, “Mr. Grisham…what’s your favorite brand of peanut butter?”

Jif?

Skippy?

Peter Pan?

Or are you one of those fancy natural peanut butter people who has to stir the oil back into it every time you open the jar?

And while we’re at it…

Crunchy or smooth?

See? These are the things I really want to know.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d eventually ask about A Time to Kill, The Firm, Jake Brigance, and how he manages to keep millions of readers turning pages long after bedtime.

But those questions have been asked hundreds—probably thousands—of times.

I’d rather know whether he folds the corners of book pages or faithfully uses a bookmark.

Does he smell books when he opens a new one?

Has he ever picked up one of his own novels years later and thought, “You know, that’s actually pretty good.”

Does he ever walk into the kitchen and forget why?

Has he ever stared into the refrigerator hoping supper would magically appear?

When he’s stuck writing a chapter, does he suddenly decide the garage needs organizing?

Or does he doom-scroll Facebook like the rest of us?

I’d love to know if he ever wanders into a bookstore and casually checks to see if his books are displayed face-out.

I’d ask what book he wishes he’d written.

I’d ask what book made him laugh the hardest.

I’d ask if he still gets nervous on release day after all these years.

And then I’d ask something that’s important to me.

Does he ever think about the readers who have been with him from the beginning?

Readers like my mom.

For years, Mom never missed a John Grisham novel. When a new one came out, it wasn’t just another trip to the bookstore—it was an event. We’d read them, talk about them, and try our best not to spoil the ending for each other. Those books became part of our conversations and our memories.

That’s the thing about books. Writers create them, but readers weave them into the fabric of their lives.

Maybe that’s why I’d spend less time asking about courtroom drama and more time asking about peanut butter.

The best interviews aren’t always the ones that reveal the biggest secrets. Sometimes they’re the ones that remind us famous people are, well…people.

They probably lose the TV remote.

They probably have a favorite mug.

They probably have a shirt they should have thrown away years ago but refuse to part with.

They probably have opinions about whether cereal belongs in a bowl before the milk.

Those are the kinds of things that make someone real.

So, yes, I’d ask John Grisham about writing.

But first…

“Mr. Grisham, before we talk about lawyers, judges and bestsellers, settle something for me.”

“Crunchy or smooth?”