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HOLLIS GILLESPIE MAY be best known in Atlanta for "Moodswing," her offbeat, funny and touching weekly column in Creative Loafing. There she often recalls the dysfunctions of growing up with a rocket scientist mom and a trailer salesman dad, while chronicling her current everyday life as a divorced mother, with a cadre of crazy friends — Daniel, Grant and Lary — who have become her family.

But Gillespie also has been a commentator on NPR's "All Things Considered," written two books — "Confessions of a Recovering [bleep] and Other Love Stories" and "Bleachy-Haired [bleep bleep]: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood" (Avon) — and now runs the Shocking Real Life Writing Academy. And if all goes well, there may be a TV sitcom based on her adventures soon.

Jesse Chamberlin (ENLARGE)
Hollis Gillespie recounts stories from her life to entertain readers, and she's started a writing academy to inspire others.
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We caught up with Gillespie as she was preparing for the launch party for her third book, "Trailer Trashed: My Dubious Efforts Toward Upward Mobility" (skirt!). The bash is in the appropriately garish Le Moulin Rouge room at Paris on Ponce antique shop, and will feature music from Kingsized and performances by Dames Aflame burlesque troupe.

Since few people have seen anything but the cover of your new book, here's your opportunity to introduce it in the most glowing terms ...

I never know how to explain my books except to say, "It's like Shakespeare," and hope people get the joke. This book literally covers my dubious efforts at upward mobility, starting with life with my Dad, the drunk trailer salesman, and ending with selling the TV series (which is based on my first two books) in Hollywood. Of course my wingnut friends, Daniel, Grant and Lary, are still there with me for the ride, but the book also goes into more detail with my relationships with my two sisters, which is a new direction for me, as well as my evolution as a parent who had to find a way to support her child while the safety nets are breaking all around her. There is also an actual romance in there, believe it or not.

Your first two books were published by the infamous Judith Regan and powerhouse HarperCollins, what's it been like moving to a smaller publisher?

I admired Judith Regan. She is tough and this business is brutal, but still she treated me respectfully. It was a great experience working with HarperCollins. It was like training with the best. But I chose a smaller publishing company this time because I'm interested in forging a partnership with my imprint. I've founded a writing academy ... and I wanted to go with a publisher who would be supportive of that and receptive to the notable manuscripts from my students. So far I have seven protégées who have landed books deals.

So how are the writing seminars going?

I regret not doing the seminars sooner! I have Grant to thank for getting [me] in gear to finally put the program together. They were a hit right out of the gate. People leave galvanized and creatively inspired, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I give them very specific information on how to get their memoirs published, right down to the contact info of literary agents who are looking for their specific type of material. It's a six-hour seminar and we get writers at all levels, with the most amazing stories. It doesn't matter if you have your manuscript complete or if you haven't written a page, I've had people land book deals in both cases.

Can you talk a bit about the status of your production deal with Laura Dern? Are you really going to have a TV show some day?

We closed on a deal with Sony and celebrated for exactly two days before everything was shut down by the writers' strike. But things seem to be back on track now and we've got a great team of people involved, which includes Laura Dern, who had been a champion of the project since the day after my first book was released.

There are rumors that you just filmed a segment for a new TV Land reality show about reconnecting with old flames — what's the real story?

I signed a contract saying that if I talked about it to the press before it aired I would have to pay the network $1 million, but for you I will risk it so here's the skinny: I used to be a teenage prostitute to the stars and once gave birth to Liberace's baby in a bus stop bathroom stall. They paired me with the ghost of River Phoenix. Hijinks ensue.

• THE 411: Trailer Trashed Book Party. Hollis Gillespie signs and reads from her new book, "Trailer Trashed: My Dubious Efforts Toward Upward Mobility." Music by Kingsized, with performances by Dames Aflame burlesque troupe. Free. 7-10 p.m. Aug.5. Paris on Ponce, 716 Ponce de Leon Place N.E., Atlanta. 404-249-9965, www.parisonponce.com.