The following questions come from the Proust Questionnaire, a wonderful little interview that sums people up in a few words. If you want to, copy and answer them yourself.
What is your current state of mind?
Agitated, excited, pensive and reactionary. I'm a walking contradiction this month.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing my sense of self deprecation. I pride myself on a lack of ego.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Sometimes I say the wrong thing at the worst time. I have a very healthy sense of dark humor. The problem is that not everyone understands the concept of irony. Sarcasm and dead baby jokes have gotten me in a pickle or two.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?T
Ignorance. I think my biggest pet peeve is people with these big opinions about things they've never taken the time to understand. Whether its religion or politics, it seems all these people have such concrete aversions to everything.
Which living person do you most admire?
Paul Thomas Anderson restored my faith in the film industry. There Will Be Blood floored me. It made me want to write, to create. He's really set the bar high, Chris Nolan as well. The Dark Knight was a total departure from typical comic book adaptions. He made Batman dark again.
Which living person do you most despise?
It's a tie between Pat Robertson and Paul Washer, two men who, in their own special way, are killing Christianity's relevance in modern culture. They're heretical to me...and dangerous to the faith I claim as my own.
On what occasion do you lie?
I lie mostly to myself. I say "that will get done tomorrow". It never does.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife. She's the one person I can confide in without any apprehension. She knows me in a very surreal kind of way, almost telekinetic. We've been together for a long time. It's so nice to have someone understand you without you having to say a word.
When and where were you happiest?
Friday nights as a kid sleeping over at my Granny's house. The routine was frozen pizza, ice cream and a movie from Blockbuster. I'd go back, man...in a second, I'd go back.
Which talent would you most like to have?
There's a part of me that would love to have been a composer. I mean that in the sense of Randy Newman or Warren Zevon. They took their cues from Stravinsky and Gershwin and they did something fresh and smart. There is a cinematic quality to their music.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I worry about stupid things. It's a hereditary thing. I'd love to just enjoy life.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Graduating from college and actually having learned something. I had some of the best English professors in the nation. They challenged me, pushed me to go outside the box as a writer. I miss class, honestly. There's always more to learn.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would it be?
I'll use the Ronnie Van Zant answer. I'd be a bird because there's nothing more free than that.
What is your favorite occupation?
Writing, writing, writing. Give me a Red Bull and three hours. I'll tell you a story.
Who are your favorite writers?
Flannery O'Conner, Ernest Hemingway, CS Lewis, Emma Goldman, Don Miller, Jack Kerouac, Steinback, Cormack MCarthy, Mickey Spillane and Stephen King.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Probably Frank Castle. He's more of an anti-hero, but his conquest is just. I absolutely love The Punisher. I think Frank Castle is the closest we come to reality in the comic book universe. After that, its definetly Bruce Wayne. I'm such a fan boy. Frank Millers Batman is so dark and esoteric. You can really get lost in those stories.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Johnny Cash, Rich Mullins, Theodore Roosevelt.
What are your favorite names?
Weiland, Hetfield, Scarlet, Ryman....all rejected possible baby names when we have some.
What is your greatest regret?
Not sitting at my Grandmothers bedside when she passed. I really wish I'd manned up and been there. I miss her. I think being there would have left things feeling complete, full circle. It's something I think about quite often.
How would you like to die?
On the deck of a Pontoon boat in the late afternoon...whilst sleeping, with Ryan Adams Heartbreaker playing in the background.
What is your motto?
"Think for yourself. Educate yourself. Live for other people"
