What about William Gibson's Neuromancer?

Actually, I interviewed. William Gibson, and the conversation I had with him kind of became a subtext in the book, because when I talked to him he said that he could never get on the net because he would feel crushed by it. I didn't really understand what he meant at the time, because I was so entranced by it, but by the end of the book, I understood completely what he meant. You can get crushed by it. The man who coined the word "cyberspace" doesn't have an e-mail account.

What do you think about the book's "Generation X" appeal?

I'm not about to parade around, billing myself as the Tabitha Soren of cyberspace. I'm sort of opposed to the whole idea of generational spokesmen. Everyone's different.

The book mentions a species of psychedelic frogs who live in Florida--what's up with that?

There were these frogs who lived outside my apartment, the first apartment I was in, in Miami. It was like this little weird cottage apartment in Coral Gables and there were these little tiny frogs. One of them jumped into my apartment and I caught it. I was going to throw it out, but I did that grasshopper trick where you put your hands over the frog, and it was jumping up and down onto my palm. I eventually caught it and threw it out the door but then I started tripping. It was amazing. I started seeing shooting sparks and I was, like, dude, this was amazing. But it was kind of scary at first because I thought I was gonna die becauseI had heard about those poisonous frogs in Manila that people lick, and it's toxic and stuff, or frogs spit on them or something? I thought "oh man, I would die like this," but then I didn't. Then I kind of kept a look out for these little frogs outside my blue window. A lot of people didn't believe me, and the others were, like, "How do I get in on this? Let's breed them."

Whether Diet Coke really turns into formaldahyde when warm, as reported in the "urban myths" newsgroup?

I haven't tested that particular theory...I would doubt it, I'd somehow doubt it, but anything's possible.

The book is obsessed by snack food...what J.C.'s average late night snack run include?

Some form of caffeine, some form of sugared cereal.

On her favorite sugared cereal?

I'd have to say [it's] Lucky Charms, definitely, because I was never allowed sugared cereals when I was a child, which is why they became such a fetish for me. When I got to Harvard, it was like, "the forbidden fruti," Lucky Charms, Cocoa Krispies, I can eat as much as I want. I had Lucky Charms for breakfast for like, four years, straight. It's a wonder I have any teeth. Count Chocula is another one of my faves, I think it's the marshmallows, but I think it's just the concept that you can eat candy for breakfast, basically, just totally fascinates and enthralls me. I think like a highly gifted eight year old.

Which cereal she picked from the Lowell Dining Hall selection? Lucky Charms.