From Outside magazine, this is the outside podcast. Sometimes there are writers who are just characters. Larger than life, seemingly incapable of writing a boring sentence, no matter what you point them at.

Sometimes years later those writers make national headlines turn into something just short of a household name, at least for a while.

Last week, outside contributor E. Jean Carroll

won a defamation lawsuit against former President Trump.

And with the spotlight firmly on her this week, we thought we take a look back at an interview

she did before the trial, about her most recent outside feature.

It's a kind of interview someone in the national spotlight just doesn't give.

And the whole thing is a reminder that they just don't make them like they used to.

Writers, I mean.

Patty O'Connell has a story? Have you ever had a conversation with someone?

How do you do? I'm an elderly, unlettered woman, nice to make your acquaintance.

That's so interesting because it's so weird.

I was raised in the country outside of Huntertown, Indiana.

My mother put me out the front door and I ran wild, like a young goat.

But like, really weird. I ordered up an army of beavers they came and they chopped down some trees that's what they did and it kind of ping pongs all over the place? I was a cheerleader, became Miss cheerleader USA,

Queen of all the cheerleaders in the country.

And you're just not sure what the hell is going to happen?

Wait a minute.

Patty, where do you live?

I grew up in Chicago. I live in Colorado.

I am coming to visit you.

And it even makes you a little worried about your job.

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