March 23, 2004 - Virginia, USA

Q: This film festival was special to you, wasn't it?
Colette: Indeed - for a lot of reasons. Of course, I didn't know what to expect when I returned to the university that had shaped so much of who I am today. Not very many people have the opportunity to return to their roots and and say thank you in person to the many individuals who inspired them. I love, and I mean LOVE higher education, and I wanted to tell current students how much their experiences now will mean to them in their lives.

Q: We heard that you got a little emotional during your presentation...
Colette: (Laughs) It's true. I started talking about the greatest, most enduring love of my life, and I think the audience expected me to say KISS, but it was Old Dominion. As I walked around campus during my visit, I felt like I'd been reunited with a long-lost soulmate. A stranger on the street commented about my goofy grin when I walked past her yesterday.

Q: Enough sappy stuff. Should we move on to the KISS questions?
Colette: Sure.

Q: What were some of the highlights of your trip?
Colette: My hosts were incredible. The folks from Old Dominion chauffeured me everywhere, and they treated me like a celebrity. The weather was just awful the whole time I was there, but the personalities were always warm. The day after I arrived, I did my first-ever television interviews about "Living the Fantasy" and yesterday, one of my biggest dreams came true.

Q: What was that?
Colette: I was interviewed on NPR!

Q: Are you serious?
Colette: I wouldn't joke about such a thing. Cathy Lewis, the local version of Terry Gross, hosted a show about the film festival and documentaries in general. I was invited to speak as one of the festival presenters.

Q: How did you do?
Colette: Fair. My personal story was probably better than me personally, if that makes sense. As if in a dream, a caller wanted to talk about the Terry Gross/Gene Simmons interview. I've always hoped someone would confront me about that, so I was somewhat ready. The interview was a lot of fun, and excellent practice for many future press interactions. If you'd like to hear a recording, email me.

Q: Was that the toughest interview?
Colette: No way. The entertainment editor from the student newspaper had really done his homework. I have a feeling he'll write something more interesting than just the basics. He could really take me to task for my public persona v. reality.

Q: Did you get to see any friends?
Colette: Definitely. ODU friends, KISS friends -- Hey! Did I mention that Angel Zee from the tribute band Shock Me showed up in full costume and makeup? I started jumping up and down when I saw him come in. You should have seen the students lined up to take pictures of him! One huge surprise was seeing a group of former classmates from my theater major days win an award at last night's wrap-up reception. They are big-time Hollywood producers now. It was unbelievably fulfilling to see that we've all made our way in the universe.

Q: What's next ?
Colette: Book, book, book. One of the members in the audience asked, "What's the next adventure for Suzanne Curtis?" Suzanne Curtis needs to get off her ass and find her way into the open arms of the public.

Q: Any final thoughts?
Colette: I go back to the day job tomorrow, which is going to be nuts for the next three weeks or so. I have to find a way to remember how profound my Old Dominion experience was and hold it close to my heart. In about a thousand ways, I felt like my world made perfect sense this week.

Q: Best wishes.

Special Thanks To: