Monday, September 7, 2015

Proust Questionnaire, Kidlit Edition, round 7

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:

Meghan McCarthy


What is the trait you most admire in others?

Honesty.

What is your greatest strength?

Determination.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

Hmm…not sure. Maybe I should ask them?

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

Yes, many times. I was bullied in junior high and managed to get through it. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and struggle with that a lot—three lumbar punctures and one that went horribly wrong! I was also carjacked. I could go on…

What is your greatest extravagance?

I bought a couch that cost way too much money and a mountain bike that was also pretty expensive. I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes or other things.

What is your most treasured possession?

Ooh, tough one. I treasure a lot of things but I guess I can’t replace old photographs of my family so I’d be sad if something happened to those. I’d be sad, of course, if something happened to the kitchen table I made or the TV stand I made or the paintings I’ve created…but I guess I could make those again.

What was your big break?

When I sold my first book to Viking.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Not sure. I don’t think I’ve done it yet!

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

Dolly Parton. That’s the first person who came to mind for some odd reason.

What is your motto?

“Work hard, play hard.”

WILD CARD: How would you like to die?

I wouldn’t. I’d like to live like a vampire. But I guess that isn’t going to happen so I’d like to die without pain and not alone. Once dead, I’d like to be thrown into the Serengeti and eaten by lions.

Barbara McClintock



What is the trait you most admire in others?

The ability to grill perfect chicken—crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

What is your greatest strength?

Doing push-ups (30 reps each, broad-arm, elbows in, diamond-hand form).

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

Not bragging about my push-ups prowess.

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

Rescuing a busload of people submerged in a river after driving off a bridge. No—really, bravery is an evolving process in life. Just dealing with whatever gets thrown at you, and keeping your sanity, dignity, and staying on schedule with delivery of finished art.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Fresh, crisp, line-dried bed sheets.

What is your most treasured possession?

My sense of humor.

What was your big break?

Being born.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Learning not to take things too seriously.

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

My partner David Johnson and son Larson in the car with the windows rolled up. Wait—that’s a trio! This is an impossible question!

What is your motto?

Not anything to be repeated in polite company.

WILD CARD: What is your dream occupation?

Circus bareback/vaulting horse rider. (Ok, ok—I’m going off-road a bit with this one!)

Richard Michelson



What is the trait you most admire in others?

“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”—Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

What is your greatest strength?

Perseverance. And sense of humor.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

My good looks (that’s why they are my friends).

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

Serious answer: I once tackled a man I thought was trying to kidnap a baby and wrestled him till the cops came. But it turned out he was the child’s father (whoops).

What is your greatest extravagance?

My Oak Bluffs gingerbread cottage.

What is your most treasured possession?

Since family is not a possession, I will say old home movies and cards/poems the kids made me when they were young.

What was your big break?

Pinky and ring fingers—left hand. Bent back and broken by a 6th grade girlfriend.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Balancing, however imperfectly (okay, barely managing), a career as an author of 20+ books while running a successful art gallery and helping my wife raise two great kids (now adults).

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

Leonard Nimoy—and we did so (and no, I can’t sing); and my daughter, composer-singer Marisa Michelson (check out her website, folks, says the proud Dad).

What is your motto?

Tie: “I yams what I yams” (Popeye) and “Always carry a doggie bag because you never know when you’ll be invited to a buffet” (Mom).

Marissa Moss



What is the trait you most admire in others?

Having a big heart, being genuinely kind and generous.

What is your greatest strength?

My tenacity. I never give up. One book took ten years of rejections before it finally got accepted!

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

How efficient I am, how much I manage to get done in a day.

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

There are different kinds of bravery and the one I didn’t think I could muster was to raise three boys after the death of my husband from ALS, to take over the household and run it well. Those little boys are all young men now, so I think I’ve done okay.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Buying children’s book illustrations. I love to have great art around me!

What is your most treasured possession?

My three sons. Not that I own them, but they’re what I care most about.

What was your big break?

When I first published that odd little book, Amelia’s Notebook.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?


Amelia’s Notebook!

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

Judy Garland, singing “Over the Rainbow,” with Toto in her arms.

What is your motto?

“Writing is 10% vision, 90% revision.”

Pam Muñoz Ryan



What is the trait you most admire in others?

Generosity of spirit.

What is your greatest strength?

My willingness to fail and start over.

What would your friends say is your greatest strength?

I make good pies.

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

I’ve overcome obstacles I was nervous to try. After fifty, I learned to ride a horse, river-rafted Cataract Canyon, and gave a speech to an audience of 3,000 people. But bravery? That’s for heroes who run into burning buildings to save another’s life.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Upgrading my airline seats with frequent flyer miles. And shoes.

What is your most treasured possession?

If you’re talking about things, I’m stumped. But I do have a letter that Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers, wrote to me once.

What was your big break?

When I was ten, I was riding my bike and fell and broke—oh, publishing break? Esperanza Rising.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Four children who became incredible adults, in spite of me.

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

Johnny Mathis.

What is your motto?

“Practice. Practice. Practice. Then leap and the net will appear.”

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