Proust 2012
Posted Sat, 02/25/12
It's been more than a year since I last answered questions in the Proust Questionnaire. Here's the latest, with a few of my own questions added into the mix:
Who is/was the single most positive influence in your life? My late uncle, William "Mike" O'Toole (1921-1993).
Who is/was the single most negative influence in your life? My father.
Have you ever loved anyone so intensely that you would do just about anything for them? If so, who? Hell to the no!
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Living alone.
What is your greatest fear? Heights.
What is the trait or traits you deplore in yourself? The inability to forgive someone who has wronged me and the resulting ability to freeze them out of my life for good.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Self-fostered sense of entitlement or superiority because of age, gender, race, religious belief or political affiliation.
What is your greatest extravagance? Books and computer paraphernalia.
What turns you on creatively or spiritually? Cool, quiet, organization.
What turns you off creatively or spiritually? Constant emotional neediness in others.
What sound or noise do you love? Rain.
What sound or noise do you hate? An animal crying in pain or loud television.
What is your favorite curse word? Piss off.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Statistician.
What profession would you NOT like to do? Anything which entails being in the sun or hot temperatures.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Foofer is anxious to see you.
Favorite virtue: Integrity.
Favorite qualities in a man: Someone who doesn't need incessant pandering or reassurance.
Favorite qualities in a woman: Someone who doesn't take glee in another woman's misfortune or bad luck. Is there such a creature?
Where would you like to live? Ireland or Maine.
Favorite color and flower: Black or red colors, dark blues and creams; lilacs.
Favorite food and drink: Mexican, Irish, Japanese (non-sushi), Greek (olives & lamb gyros); coffee or lemon iced tea.
Favorite heroes in fiction: Conor Larkin (Trinity by Leon Uris) and Sergeant Mike Flannigan from Mrs. Mike by Benedict & Nancy Freedman.
Favorite heroines in fiction: Ava Egan (Celtic Remnants by yours truly) and Skye O'Malley from Bertrice Small.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Writing.
If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be? A cat with green eyes and one arched brow.
When I lived in Washington years ago, I used to watch Inside the Actors Studio with great regularity. I enjoyed the non-gossipy examinations of the acting craft as opposed to flashy bits at film premieres or otherwise self-serving and mundane representations. At the end of every program, the host James Lipton queried his guests using the Proust Questionnaire as a guide.
According to the web site Wikipedia: "The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one's personality. Its name and modern popularity as a form of interview is owed to the responses given by the French writer Marcel Proust."
*Related Posts: Vanity Fair Query (03/23/08); More Proust (11/19/08); Proust 2010 (12/20/10); Proust 2012 (02/25/12) and Proust 2015 (10/21/15).