Electric Grandmother has this posted on her site and it looks like fun.
I would like everyone who reads this to ask me 3 questions: no more, no less. Ask me anything you want. Anything! Doesn’t mean I’ll answer them in the way you expect. Then go to your journal, copy and paste this, allowing your friends (including me) to ask you anything.
Amoung other things, I’m curious how many people read this and it seems like a fun way to find out. Yes, you neo-luddites may ask questions even if you don’t have an online journal.
1. Will you be at our house on Christmas?
2. Will you be at Rob’s parent’s on Christmas?
3. Will you be in Iceland so we can visit you on New Year’s Eve?
(1)Will you be in Tennessee for Christmas this year?
(2)Do you think -d- and his lady would be interested in visiting Hawaii for New Year’s Eve with Mr.& Mrs. R.A. Kowal should THEY come to Rob’s parents house?
(3) Where will Buster be in future?
-d- 1. I don’t know.
-d- 2. I don’t know.
-d- 3. No. We’ll be in the U.S. through January 7.
Momk 1. I don’t know.
Momk 2. I don’t know, but I’ll ask them.
Momk 3. Buster will be in Chattanooga. I told Dad that if he installed the invisible fence then it meant that Buster was his dog.
Three questions from Scott via email.
1) What book have read more times than any other?
That would either be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis or The Sun, the Moon and the Stars by Steven Brust.
2) How is writing going?
I’ve been tired lately and using that as an excuse to not write as often, so I’ve been doing editing which takes slightly less brainspace than creating from scratch.
3) Do you have any regrets?
Yes. I regret that I have not practised my voice lessons since I got to Iceland.
I will refrain from asking as to your whereabouts over the major holidays. Perhaps you would like to help us give out candy on halloween? (no pressure)
1) what has your most hair raising moment in Iceland been?
2) What was/is the best gift you have ever recieved?
3) what do you wish you could know about your future?
Only three, hmmm? The FG isn’t good at this …
1) What are the chances you’ll end up in NYC (eventually)?
2) Will I ever get to read the latest drafts of the Haunted Nursery and the story about the weather and the Indian Vinyard?
3) What is your favourite book, beyond the two listed above that you’ve read repeatedly?
-e- 1) My most hair-raising moment in Iceland is something that I didn’t blog about when it happened because the images were fairly gruesome. But, since you asked…
Two years ago, I was driving back from going to Gullfoss with my friend Jonathan. It was October so it got dark around seven, I think. On the road in front of us, we could only see one car several kilometers in front of us. It swerved suddenly.
Jonathan said, “Hey, I think there’s a rock in the road, better slow down.”
I had a moment to wonder how a boulder had gotten on the road in the middle of a lava field. When my headlights hit the boulder, it moved. It was a horse.
It was still alive and trying to stand. This is the only time in my life when I have wanted a gun. Another car was coming towards us. Because the lava fields are so flat, we could see it for five minutes before it got to us. There were no shoulders on the road to pull off on, so I backed the car up and turned slightly to point the headlights on the horse, which was in the other lane.
The oncoming car sped up.
Jonathan said, “Don’t look!”
I shut my eyes and put my hands over my face, as if that would shut out more images.
We heard the impact. Our car shook, rocking to the side. When I opened my eyes, the horse was gone. There were smears on the windshield.
We turned around. The horse was behind us and no longer identifiable. Another car was coming.
We saw two more cars hit it.
-e- Question Number Two
The best gift I ever received… I’m not sure, because the word “best” shifts meaning as I consider. The gift which gives me the most daily pleasure was from Rob. For our third wedding anniversary, he gave me a Leatherman which I had been coveting for ages. It made me happy because he had been paying attention to the fact that I wanted it. It was also our leather anniversary and his cleverness at picking out the gift delighted me. I use it everyday at work. He also gave me an out-of-print book by one of my favorite authors. I didn’t even know the book existed.
The wind-up bird that you gave me is also high on my list. As is the marionette that my parents’ brought back from Prague. You know the saying “It’s the thought that counts?” I think that my favorite gifts have always been ones which were prompted by a real understanding of me, by thought.
-e- 3. What do I wish I could know about my future? Where I was going to be for Christmas.
Fabulousgirl 1. I will be in NYC on October 26th.
2. I haven’t sent those to you already?
3. If you haven’t read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel buy a copy now.
Um, are we allowed follow-ups? Because now I want to know how long you’ll be in NYC after the 26th. And no, you haven’t sent me the second drafts of those stories, and someone in my book club has been trying to get us to read The Sparrow forever, but we keep voting for other books. Although now we’re doing Jonathan Strange, which was quite satisfying.
I’m only in NYC overnight, sadly. I’ll send you the stories tonight and finally, listen to the person who wants to read The Sparrow.
1. Would you please tell me what got you interested in working with puppets and how old were you at that time?
2. Given the opportunity to interview or have a long conversation with five people from anytime in history, past to present, who would they be?
3. What qualities do your best friends have in common?
Bonus question…Is there something we should know about flat feet or high arches?
PS Your series on narration, voices, microphones, etc. is terrific! It is not too likely I’ll be doing that anytime soon or in the rest of my life, but it is very interesting.
1) I was one of those kids who wanted to do everything. So when I was in high school and a friend of mine introduced me to puppetry via her local church, I realized that I had found something that combined everything I loved to do. I was 17. Unfortunately there was no way to make a living at it so when I went to college I majored in art with a minor in theater and speech. This was the closest I could come to puppetry.
Then I did Little Shop of Horrors in college and a professional puppeteer came to see the show. I couldn’t believe that it was possible to get paid for this. I changed career choices on the spot. I was 20. I got my first paying gig that summer.
My formal puppetry training came from the Center for Puppetry Arts, where I interned under George Latshaw. I think I was 22.
Which means that I’ve been doing puppetry for 20 years and getting paid for it for seventeen years… excuse me, I think I need to go lie down. I haven’t done the math recently.
2. Jim Henson, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Scott Card (check), Mary Anning and Josef Svoboda.
3. Generous, talented, deeply thoughtful, passionate and always exploring.
Okay, Mary. My turn :).
1) If you could live anywhere, where would you reside?
2) Do you have a hero? If so, who is it and why?
3) What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
1. Iceland, Portland, OR, Woodthrush Woods or a viable colony on Mars.
2. George Latshaw. I interned under him when he was in his seventies or eighties. He is dynamic, excited about life, still exploring and passionate.
3. Genoa Restaurant in Portland,OR. 2nd wedding anniversary.