HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
MAY 2013
77
FERNANDO LEON/GETTY (YOGA); GUSTAVO CABALLERO/GETTY (WITH SHIELDS); PETER KRAMER/NBC NEWSWIRE/GETTY (“TODAY”);
LIVING THE GOOD LONG LIFE
IS PUBLISHED BY CLARKSON POTTER (TRADE PAPERBACK, $27.50), OUT MAY 7
HEMISPHERES:
It’s been 31 years since
you published your first lifestyle book,
Entertaining
.
How many books does this
latest one make?
STEWART:
78.
HEMISPHERES:
Really?
STEWART:
Yes.
HEMISPHERES:
That’s a lot of books.
How have you kept it going for so long—
isn’t there a finite amount of advice that
one person can offer?
STEWART:
Not really. We work with
the subject of living. To me, that’s kind
of limitless. It can be handled in many
different ways. In the home you have
the kitchen, the living room. There’s
health, well-being, fashion. And styles
change. Over the past 31 years, so much
has happened. It’s really interesting
subject ma er.
HEMISPHERES:
What about you person-
ally? How do you manage to keep this up?
STEWART:
It’s my life’s work. You
don’t just roll over and die. I enjoy my
work. It’s all about curiosity, learning
and teaching. I’m in my car, and I have
three newspapers to read, several
magazines to look at. I have a column
to write on raising backyard poultry.
It’s never-ending. Oh, and I have a
KenKen puzzle.
HEMISPHERES:
Tell me you’re not driving.
STEWART:
No! In fact, I was reading to
my driver about the pope’s departure,
and I said to him: “Facebook has more
followers than the Catholic Church.”
Which is shocking. The church is 2,000
years old; Facebook is only about 8.
HEMISPHERES:
I should mention that
you’re talking to the world’s biggest slob.
Within minutes of opening your book, I’d
gotten a coffee stain on it. Is there a part
of you that shudders at the thought?
STEWART:
[
Laughs.] No, absolutely not.
HEMISPHERES:
You are known as a per-
fectionist, though—there’s a story about
how you color-coordinate Post-it notes
with the décor. Is there a point when one
can take this sort of thing too far?
STEWART:
Yes, I can be perceived as
a perfectionist, but I think that has
way more to do with being organized,
artistic and coordinated than it does
with being picky.
HEMISPHERES:
You’re a big animal
lover—three dogs, five cats, 25 canaries.
Isn’t there a conflict between having pets
and good housekeeping? Don’t they shed
and have accidents all over the place?
STEWART:
Animals have always been
an important part of my home life, and
I find that well-cared-for animals add
a tremendous friendliness to a home.
Despite the fact I have many house pets,
my home does not smell or look dirty,
and when you sit in a chair in your navy
blue suit, it will not pick up dog hairs.
HEMISPHERES:
What is it about you
that makes you such a dab hand at this
housekeeping stuff?
STEWART:
I think I’m coordinated, if
that’s the right word. I’m coordinated
in many ways. But I don’t want to come
off as “Oh, I’m so great.”
HEMISPHERES:
One of the remarkable
things about this
MARTHA STEWART
BY THE NUMBERS
Number of media platforms covered
by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
11
Monthly audience across all
MSLO platforms
66
MILLION
Number of MSLO blogs
wri en by French bulldogs
1
Circulation of flagship magazine,
Martha Stewart Living
2
MILLION
@
MarthaStewart Twi er followers
2.7
MILLION
Number of books in print
≈21MILLION
Estimated personal net worth (2007)
$650MILLION
Number of “Late Show
With David Le erman” appearances
15
Number of those appearances that
involved throwing cheese at the host
1
Number of TV acting roles
1
(“
LAW& ORDER: SVU,” 2012)
Number of Emmy Awards
18
Number of Emmy Awards for acting
0
“
I can be perceived
as a perfectionist,
but I think that
has way more
to do with being
organized, artistic
and coordinated
than it does with
being picky.”
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