Flannery Dean graduated from the University of Toronto with an M.A. in English Literature in 2001. Shortly after graduation, she decided to try her luck in the world of magazine journalism, though every once in a while she returns to the 12th floor of Robarts Library to fall asleep with a copy of The Canterbury Tales under her chin.
A freelance writer and editor, she’s written for TV and has contributed to CBC.ca, ELLE Canada, Chatelaine, Glow, Toronto Life, the National Post, Dogs in Canada, The Bark, and the Ottawa Citizen. She blogs daily for Chatelaine.com.
What was your favourite class in high school?
Any class I got kicked out of definitely makes the top five. So English, Biology, Geography, Gym, and French would qualify.
Why?
Short answer: No human being hated school as much as I did. I need to be free!
How did you get your start as a journalist?
Nepotism. My mother is a writer and when I graduated from U of T, she helped me get an internship at Where Toronto magazine. It was unpaid though, so nepotism has its limits.
If you weren’t a Media, Darling, what would you be doing right now?
Parasailing with George Clooney in Lake Como.
Pitching or follow up: Phone or email?
Email is preferred. But I love to talk to a living breathing human being sometimes, too.
We know irrelevant pitches, calling you the wrong name and eight follow-ups are no-no’s; what else should publicists avoid doing?
Saying no to my requests for an interview with their clients – that is just evil.
Sunrise or sunset?
I’m greedy, I want both – and all in one day.
Scent?
Scent of a Woman by Al Pacino. Very exclusive. Only available to a select group of TBS viewers.
Cookie?
I will eat any cookie put in front of me and I’ll probably eat yours when you turn your head.
Flower?
Peonies, hyacinth, irises, and everything currently blooming in my mother’s garden.
Ticklish?
Painfully. It’s a problem.
Shower or bath?
I’ve patented the decadent shower-bath. You start with a shower, then while the water’s running, you plug the tub and wallow in your own luxurious bilge water until someone tells you to get the hell out of the bathroom because you’ve been in there for at least an hour already.
Film?
Arthur (original). The Palm Beach Story. Topsy Turvy. I spent my youth watching TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies.
Crush?
Many! Currently Francois Arnaud, The Borgias. It’s possibly mutual as I’m pretty sure he winked at me during the season finale.
First job?
Dishwasher. Real confidence builder.
Inspiration?
My mortality.
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