There’s a new 20-questions interview template going around, and it goes deeper than most shallow media questionnaires. Created by French novelist Marcel Proust, it has been adopted by all kinds of media outlets to interview all kinds of politicians, celebs and noncelebs. Just for fun, I decided to try it on myself. And I dare you to try it on yourself!
- What is your idea of perfect happiness? Watching eagles soar and Canada geese honk out a concert on ocean’s edge while sitting in a lawn chair reading a good book.
- What is your greatest fear? Losing my mental sharpness
- What is your greatest extravagance? Buying an ocean-side cabin in the Gulf Islands, on the West Coast of Canada (see photo).
- Which living person do you most admire? Basically, any international humanitarian and philanthropist. Example: Stephen Lewis, Canadian politician, public speaker, broadcaster and diplomat.
- Which living person do you most despise? I’ll keep that one to myself, but it just might be a politician.
- What was your first paying job? Selling Tastee Freez ice-cream in Sisseton, South Dakota (unless you count babysitting back when $5/hour was a thrilling amount). As a teen, I also spent years as a nurses’ aide in a nursing home, and actually really liked it
- What is the best present you’ve ever been given? A hand-scrawled gift certificate for snowboarding lessons given by my son, then around 14.
- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would end years of chronic back pain
- What do you consider your greatest achievement? My latest novel (and marrying my husband, and launching my son)
- If you were to die and come back as a living thing, what would it be? A seal
- What is your guiltiest pleasure? Miss Vicky’s potato chips.
- What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? impatience
- What is the trait you most deplore in others? arrogance
- Where would you most like to live? the Gulf Islands, BC, Canada
- If you could be a fictional character for one day, who would it be? No idea — I simply can’t answer that! Too many to choose from.
- What is one object you still own from your childhood? The sewing basket my mother gave me for Christmas, which I still use.
- Who are your heroes in real life? People who volunteer to better their community. Also, the winners of the Printz awards
- One what occasion do you lie? When a white lie will benefit someone who is feeling down.
- What is your most treasured possession? My cat (assuming my husband doesn’t qualify as a possession)
- What is your motto? Keep on keeping on.
