Sunday, September 6, 2015

Proust Questionnaire, Kidlit Edition, round 6

Fifty kidlit authors and illustrators answer a Vanity Fair-style Proust Questionnaire (i.e. short to read, long on insight). Same 10 questions for all (plus, for some, a wild card 11th of their choosing.) The series intro explains more and lists the participants.

Here are the next five:

David Lubar


What is the trait you most admire in others?

An appreciation of my jokes.

What is your greatest strength?

I distribute my attribute points equally among strength, dexterity, charisma, intelligence, and luck.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

My inability to make friends.

How have you experienced bravery you didn’t know you had?

I get out of bed each morning.

What is your greatest extravagance?


Video games.

What is your most treasured possession?

My napping couch.

What was your big break?

My coccyx.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Getting off my couch.

Setting aside the reality of whether or not you can sing, with whom would you like to perform a duet?

Flipper.

What is your motto?

“Meh.”

WILD CARD: What inaccurately-depicted historical figure from a play do you most identify with?

Antonio Salieri.

Maryann Macdonald


What is the trait you most admire in others?

Courage.          

What is your greatest strength?

Being friends with myself.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

Not sure. Resilience, maybe?           

How have you experienced bravery you didn’t know you had?

Once I dove into the sea to rescue a child who was being dragged out by a huge wave.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Expensive shoes.

What is your most treasured possession?

My teeth.

What was your big break?

Being forced into a 12-step program.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Keeping lifelong friends.

Setting aside the reality of whether or not you can sing, with whom would you like to perform a duet?

Stumped here!

What is your motto?

“One day at a time.”

Jeff Mack


What is the trait you most admire in others?

Unrelenting kindness.

What is your greatest strength?

Super-skinny arms.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

Patience.

How have you experienced bravery you didn’t know you had?

By answering these questions.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I once paid someone a bunch of money to let me jump out of their airplane. If that’s not extravagant, what is?

What is your most treasured possession?

I love my old, beat-up, ex-library copy of William Steig’s The Bad Island. I included its stamped checkout page in my own book, Look!

What was your big break?

My landing after I jumped out of the plane.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Clueless McGee and the Inflatable Pants. It’s like Michelangelo’s David, except it has pants.

Setting aside the reality of whether or not you can sing, with whom would you like to perform a duet?

Stevie Wonder.

What is your motto?

“So many books, so little time.”

WILD CARD: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d stop trying to change myself.

Scott Magoon


What is the trait you most admire in others?

Quiet, humble bravery.

What is your greatest strength?

I think my legs are pretty strong. Other than that…creativity?

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

My modesty, of course. :)

How have you experienced bravery you didn’t know you had?

I asked for help when I needed it most.

What is your greatest extravagance?

My diamond encrusted, dual exhaust Apple Watch and band. Custom. I got it from Beyoncé and the Ford Motor Company. Oh, and Apple.

What is your most treasured possession?

My health.

What was your big break?

Getting hired as a book designer at Candlewick Press. Then not getting fired.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My family.

Setting aside the reality of whether or not you can sing, with whom would you like to perform a duet?

Frank Sinatra. Heck, maybe even Frank Sinatra, Jr.

What is your motto?

“Run the mile you’re in.”

WILD CARD: What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Bluster.

Wendy Mass


What is the trait you most admire in others?

Courage.

What is your greatest strength?

Determination.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

Loyalty.

How have you experienced bravery you didn’t know you had?

When a dam broke and our house flooded, we had to get our family to safety and find another place to live. And on a non-life-threatening scale, I never thought I’d get to the point where I can stand up in front of hundreds of people and talk about writing and books without breaking a sweat, when not that long ago I couldn’t have stood up in front of three without nearly passing out from nerves. 

What is your greatest extravagance?

Buying books and magic tricks. A not-so-slight addition to Amazon Prime. The newest gadgets (as in: had to wake up at 3 a.m. to order the Apple Watch the second it went on sale and I have a pair of Google Glasses that I’ll never wear. I also owned a DVR called ReplayTV years before anyone else and loved hearing, “What do you mean you can pause live TV?”). My husband would say my greatest extravagance is driving with the windows open and the air conditioning on. But I’m not into shoes or handbags or expensive makeup or clothes, so I figure it all evens out!

What is your most treasured possession?

My hard drive with pictures and videos of my kids that one day I will actually print out/put on DVD. (I’d say my family itself, but then we’re opening the people-as-possessions can of worms. ;o), and if we’re talking non-sentimental stuff, then it’s my light blue VW beetle convertible, aka Fending Off Impending Midlife Crisis Car.

What was your big break?

When A Mango-Shaped Space, my first book, was published. Thank you, Little, Brown and Company!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Having twins.

Setting aside the reality of whether or not you can sing, with whom would you like to perform a duet?

Tori Amos.

What is your motto?

These are the ones currently in my head:

“Be where you are.”
“This too shall pass.”
“Nothing’s wrong till something’s wrong. “
And a quote I put in The Candymakers: “Be kind to strangers, for they are fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

WILD CARD: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d watch less reality TV and repeats of Friends! (Oh who am I kidding, Friends is still hilarious. ;o)

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