Pulitzer prize winning humorist Dave Barry visited Barnes & Noble  May 6 to promote and sign copies of his new book, “I’ll Mature When I’m Dead.” More than a hundred people packed into the kids’ section of the store to hear Barry, author of more than 30 books, speak.

The Black & White caught up with Barry to uncover his hobbies beyond satire and uncover the man behind the humor.

Black & White: We know you’re on tour with your band right now– how serious of a band is it?

Dave Barry: We’re pretty serious about certain things, such as demanding that there’s beer and wine available. We’re not so serious about other things, such as rehearsing or knowing exactly what song we are supposed to be playing at any given moment.

B&W: Who were your musical influences? Or the band’s, for that matter.

DB: I was greatly influenced by Beethoven and Mozart. They took their music very seriously, and look what happened: they died. So I don’t.

B&W: How would you say you’ve changed since the days when you used to do crazy things like lighting Barbie dolls on fire?

DB: I never lit a Barbie doll on fire. Let’s not start spreading ugly rumors. What I did was use a Barbie doll to set a pair of men’s underpants on fire. I still do, occasionally, because you never know when this skill will be useful.

B&W: Which up-and-coming writers do you think are funny?

DB: I really like a lot of TV writers. The South Park guys, for example, are brilliant. So are the people who write The Office,  Glee and a bunch of other shows whose names I don’t remember, let alone the names of the writers of these shows. I am a huge fan of whoever they are.

B&W: Do your kids think you’re funny?

DB: Sometimes. From a safe distance.

B&W: It says on your website that you were voted “class clown” in high school. Were you surprised to get that award?

DB: Yes. I thought the South Park guys would get it, but fortunately they didn’t go to my high school and weren’t born yet.

B&W: If you hadn’t won class clown, which award do you think you would have received?

DB: Most Hairless.

B&W: Can you describe a typical day as a columnist? Did you work from home or at an office? Could you write about anything you wanted?

DB: I almost always write at home, in a room with a dog, whose job is to periodically fart. I can write pretty much whatever I want, as long as it’s funny. It would be the ideal job except for the part about having to be funny.