the platitudes of willful resemblance

This is stolen from a friend of mine, Micael. He does this about once a year and last year I did as well. It is apparently that time again. His link –if you don’t follow him, you should.

Here are my last set of answers – I haven’t read them yet as that would be cheating but you can.

As with MC – if you play please leave him or I a link in the comments.

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
4. What turns you off?
5. What is your favorite curse word?
6. What sound or noise do you love?
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

These are taken from Inside the Actor’s Studio with James Lipton, which he poses to each of his guests at the end of an interview. Lipton always gives credit for this list to French talk show host Bernard Pivot, who hosted Apostrophes from 1975–1990 and Bouillon de Culture from 1990–2001; he often mentions that the list originally came from French novelist Marcel Proust (1871–1922). Proust did not actually create the questionnaire that frequently has his name attached, though he did famously answer two versions of it (once at age 13, and a second time at age 20), and thereby gave the lists a certain notoriety. Their original author is unknown.

Here are my answers for this year…

1. What is your favorite word?

I woke up this morning to rain falling outside. This means that today I’ll be in a lot of pain and I would prefer drinking four fingers of you finest but the medications would have to disagree and will do proper.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Of course I have to drive in it – driving in rain creates a completeness of moment that one can only get by experiencing piloting a motorcycle in the driving rain.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

trampling over wet leaves on sidewalks down back alleys and one way streets, I remember my limp and beard as though they were connected by more than this flesh.

4.What turns you off?

as a teenager I walked with a cane and found it didn’t suit me as I gesticulate when manic and am generally expressive and always carrying notebooks and cups of coffee.

5. What is your favorite curse word?

I use to be a spiritual guide (I’ve mentioned this) and didn’t get lost on my way to enlightenment but found life more interesting.

6. What sound or noise do you love?

interestingly enough, I can’t stand chipmunks and call them ‘peanut butter and jellies’ but squirrels never seem to bother me in forceful numbers
7. What sound or noise do you hate?

as a child I had a pet peanut butter and jelly and this was his/her name. I think he/she may have been a drag queen at heart but never wore clothing that I could identify – just styled his/her hair in an up doo and strutted with the utmost confidence. I couldn’t cage her/him for long and my sister began to suspect my sexuality.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I’ve never bet on horses or dogs though I imagine it is a good way to spend a day and blow a lot of money with a better chance than making love in the rain, outside, on flowing rivers of fallen leaves.
9. What profession would you not like to do?

Federico Garcia Lorca was assassinated by a facist government during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, to this day I mourn the loss of one who saw Whitman’s beard always full of butterflies.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

My sister actually began to suspect my sexuality when I wouldn’t go to bed without hearing ‘Cinderella’ and needed the warmth of her love before being able sleep the night through. This was before the “peanut…” caging days and feeding cats milk and cheese out of ashtrays in the backyard. Which incidentally was the first lie I had ever told and I recall it to this day with perfect clarity. When asked, nay, demanded who left the cheese out in ashtrays I pretended to not know who would be trying to feed the feral cats of the neighborhood so we all got into trouble and my sister and brother never said otherwise to anyone. A favorite memory.

That is all.