Name: Becky Lang
Twitter: @leckybang
Websites: “thetangential.com, beckylang.tumblr.com for stonery photo reblogs and the occasional drawing.”
What’s your job?
“I work at a small creative agency called Zeus Jones. I’m a copywriter, so I’m always writing wacky things like tomato manifestos or Facebook ads geared towards ‘moms on the go.’ It’s hilarious and it challenges my writing voice every day. My work has also jokingly called me ‘the HR department’ because I have somewhat of a potty mouth. They gave me an HR flag, which is a jack-in-the-box head tied into a red towel—it’s terrifying—to throw at people when they’re being inappropriate. As you can see, ZJ is a lot of fun.”
Other than your job, what are your claims to fame?
“The Tangential, a pop culture/creative writing website I started with Jay Gabler and Katie Sisneros, is probably what people associate with me, other than Zeus. ‘Oh, you do the Tan Genital, right?’ Even my mom has started reading it recently, and she has no idea how to turn on the computer. Now when I come home she gives me a rundown of which posts were funny and which ones make me seem ‘too promiscuous.'”
What’s your relationship status?
“Dating one half of Koo Koo Kanga Roo.”
Where are you most likely to be seen?
“Hanging out at the American Girl Doll store at Mall of America, trying to figure out what preteens like. Just kidding. You can often find me at Liquor Lyle’s, a bar that—other than the shitty loud music—seems designed for me. I love the sparkly red booths, the crazy people out smoking, the cheap drinks, and—oh, yeah—the chicken strips.”
Where are you least likely to be seen?
“Coffee shops. I worked at Starbucks for a year in college, and I slammed espresso shots to the point that I’m totally burnt out on cafe culture. If I want to read or go on my computer, I’d rather just lay in my bed.”
With what people are you most likely to be seen?
“The Tangential writers are one tight bunch, maybe even annoyingly tight. Jay, Katie, Jason Zabel, and Sarah Heuer are the ones most frequently hitting S.A. at 3 a.m. with me for embarrassing snacks, but the whole staff are some of my favorite people I’ve met in my life. I also hang out with former Minnesota Daily A&E writers a lot. Life has only gotten better since writing led me to fellow Buffy connoisseurs who like talking about verb conjugations.”
Where were you born?
“St. Paul.”
What neighborhood do you live in now?
“I live Uptown, by Rudolphs BBQ.”
What’s your ride?
“A 2001 Mazda Protege that I’m driving into the ground.”
What’s the best way for someone to start a conversation with you?
“I’m going to spin this one and say ways not to start a conversation with me. The worst way is to come out of nowhere and ask how you can get a job at Zeus Jones. Another bad one is to send a Tangential submission that’s signed ‘enjoy!’ People who sign their work with ‘enjoy!’ unfailingly suck. Now that I sound like an ice queen, I’ll just say chat me up while I’m out on weekends or send me a non-creepy e-mail, one with an animated GIF in it or something.”
Photo by Angela Richie, courtesy Becky Lang
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