Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Kendall Long

The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise‘s Kendall Long is writing the next chapter in her career as a debut author. Today, she releases her new book, Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions.

Inspired by her time on the show as well as her own personal life, Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions is a resource to enhance the relationships in your life.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Kendall to chat about the process of putting together Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions, the strangest answer she’s ever received, and why she’s so excited to share this with her fans.

PC: Tell us about your debut book, Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions, and what inspired it.
Kendall: I’ve always had a notebook that I’ve carried with me, collecting questions in order to get to know people better. I’ve used it at game nights with friends and on first dates. I actually brought it on one of my dates on The Bachelor, and it was really popular with fans. Since then, I decided that during quarantine, I wanted to work on a project that I’ve always been passionate about. So, that’s how it started!

PC: You’ve teased that there’s a nice blend of hard-hitting questions and ones that are more fun. Was it a challenge to find that right balance?
Kendall: Definitely. The intent is to get to know someone, but you also don’t want to have them on their guard [laughs]; you want to have some of those fun questions to make it not so serious or sad. Although I love those sad moments, I wanted it to be fun as well. There’s a little bit of everything. The book itself is meant to make it so you have some fun questions and some hard ones.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, these are questions that you’ve compiled throughout the years. What’s the most shocking answer you’ve ever received?
Kendall: There’s this one question that I ask: if you had an alien space gun that could enlarge an item a hundred times its size, what would you choose and why? My ex, Joe [Amabile], said he would choose to enlarge an almond, because then you could create an almond farm, almond milk, and all that stuff. It was a very in-depth answer, so I was very surprised by that. But, I was also like, “Man, this is how you get to know a lot about someone and their business mentality because of that question.”

PC: You’ve been sharing your journey with the book with your fans on social media. Why was that so important to you?
Kendall: It’s been really fun because this is such an interactive book. I love asking fans and friends questions and hearing all their unique answers. It’s so fun because anyone can answer and interact, and everyone’s answer is so unique to themselves. I’ve been surprised at how people have really loved interacting with the book as much as I have. For me, it’s such a personal thing, and now I get to share it with everyone else. It’s amazing to see that it impacts their lives as much as it’s impacted mine.

PC: You and your team worked on a mood board for the book. Where did you draw your inspiration from?
Kendall: I really wanted the book to reflect me. I chose yellow because it’s my favorite color and blue because I’m from California. The yellow reminds me of the sun and the blue reminds me of the ocean. That’s where I got the color scheme from because I wanted it to be something that I saw myself in.

PC: With this being you debut book, what was the biggest takeaway for you working on this project?
Kendall: This book has been a tool for me to enhance the relationships around me. On The Bachelor, you don’t have a lot of time to fall in love or really get to know someone, so for me, especially on first dates, I used it to get to know somebody at a level that you wouldn’t expect on a first date. That’s something that I carry with me and use to this day. I hope that other people can use it as a tool to enhance their relationships. I’ve used it with my twin sister and learned new things about her—and I’ve known her since the womb!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Kendall: The Great British Baking Show.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Kendall: I really like Harold and Maude—it’s a quirky ’70s movie. I’ve watched that movie way too many times. Also, What We Do in the Shadows is a funny vampire movie.

PC: Favorite book?
Kendall: Oh my gosh, so many. I love anything that Michael Pollan writes. He’s a great author. He did Omnivore’s Dilemma.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Kendall: SpongeBob—I saw it in New York and absolutely loved it.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Kendall: I love Alabama Shakes and St. Paul & The Broken Bones. I love those bands.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Kendall: I always bring a backpack and Pistachio—he’s a little travel dog. I also bring this little taxidermied duckling called Ping. I carry that with me everywhere.

To keep up with Kendall, follow her on Instagram. Pick up your copy of Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions today.

Photo Credit: Brett Erickson