What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A crackling fire in a comfy room in a house in a wild, windswept place with plenty of light. A good book, a cup of tea and my Best Beloved.

What is your greatest fear?
Losing my Best Beloved, and finding out that, after all, there is nothing but the abyss.

Which living person do you most admire?
The unsung hero who just keeps doing the next right thing. 

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Self-righteousness and self-pity.  Whining in general, for that matter.

What is your greatest extravagance?
I spend my days writing, clinging to the belief it matters, somehow.  What could be more extravagant?  Plus, I buy too many pens.

What is your favorite journey?
To dreamland.

On what occasion do you lie?
When asked about other people’s clothing choices.

Which living person do you most despise?
I try not to despise anyone. 

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“I can’t imagine….” Because, sadly, I probably can.

What is your greatest regret?
The times I have chosen cleverness over kindness.

When and where were you happiest?
On the day I married my Best Beloved, and a moment in Newfoundland when there was nothing but sky and sea, rocks and ravens.

What is your current state of mind?
Restless, with equal measures of hopefulness and anxiety.  I’ve learned to live with it.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d stop caring if I’m invited to the birthday party or not.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Sobriety.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A birch tree.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
A raven.

What is your most treasured possession?
A charm bracelet.  The charms track moments.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being dependent on the opinion of others.

Where would you like to live?
In a quiet house, away from people, with a view of the horizon.

What is your favorite occupation?
Napping.

What is your most marked characteristic?
I am a solitary person, who nonetheless likes to be invited to the party.

What are the qualities you most like in others?
Kindness, a sense of humor, and integrity.

Who are your favorite writers?
There are always new ones, but the ones who found me first were James Agee and Graham Greene, Carson McCullers and James Baldwin. 

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Atticus Finch. Sherlock Holmes. Hester Prynne.

Who are your heroes in real life?
I’ve learned the hard way not to make heroes out of real people.

What is it that you most dislike?
Noise, and political blowhards who believe their opinions and God’s are the same.  

How would you like to die?
Fearlessly, painlessly and regret-free. 

What is your motto?
“Defy Despair.”