A little meme

I thoroughly enjoyed reading more about Devon‘s life, history, and preferences big and small when she answered the questions in this meme. I was flattered to see myself named as someone she’d be interested in seeing answer them, and so I do so now. Please go check out Devon’s blog – the name alone charmed me: You had me at neurotic. Devon writes brilliantly, and her heartfelt posts delve into where she came from, where she wants to go, and what her experience is like along the way. She loves to read and we love the same books, which is a quick way to my heart.

So, here you go, Devon … as you can see I have a hard time picking one of anything! 🙂

What experience has most shaped you, and why?

My unexpected pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum depression with Grace. The sum of all of my moves back and forth across the Atlantic as a child. Watching my mother’s best friend (and closest thing I had to another mother) die at 49.

If you had a whole day with no commitments, what would you do?

Read, run, write, and putter around my house. Maybe have a glass of wine with one of those friends I love dearly and never have enough time to see.

What food or drink could you never give up?

Diet Coke. White wine. Cheddar cheese. French fries. Swedish fish.

If you could travel anywhere, where would that be and why?

Weirdly, I don’t have a long list here. Maybe Thailand? New Zealand? Egypt? Am hoping my sister and her family help me out by going somewhere exotic on sabbatical soon.

Give me one easy savoury recipe that doesn’t include cheese.

Pigs in a blanket from Costco. Heat in toaster oven. Serve with ketchup and mustard.

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

A doctor. Always.

Which woman writer – living or dead – do you most admire and why?

Impossible to name one!

I admire deeply many female poets – Anne Sexton, Maxine Kumin, Adrienne Rich (the three of whom I wrote my thesis on), Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Jane Kenyon.

A group of memoirists moved me deeply this spring, when I dove into the genre: Dani Shapiro, Karen Maezen Miller, Katrina Kenison, Glenda Burgess.

And, of course, my idol, icon, personal spiritual advisor (and yes, I realize I am one of millions who feels this way) and all-around sage, Anne Lamott. Anne’s ability to marry humor with wisdom makes hers the single most meaningful voice I’ve read. I adore all of her non-fiction books and have read each of their heavily-underlined and annotated pages more than once.

What character trait inspires you the most?

A sense of humor, the ability to walk lightly through life, to see the sunshine without being too bogged down by the shadow. That, and patience.

What is your favorite kind of music?

Singer-songwriter music, often acoustic. Am often teased for being stuck in boarding school with my music tastes. That’s OK by me. I also have a completely opposed affection for cheezy Top 40, including American Idol winners (and runners up) – even though I don’t watch the show.

Which book or books have inspired or touched you the most?

The Norton Anthology (volumes 1 and 2) which woke me up to the brilliance and life-altering power of literature when I was in college.

Dani Shapiro’s Devotion, Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies, Plan B, and Grace Eventually, Elizabeth Strout’s novels.

What is the ideal wake-up time?

Between 7 and 8.

Name a cd that would have to be, hands down, your desert island cd. (Let’s ignore the lack of electricity on desert islands.)

Hard. Possibly Ray Lamontagne’s Gossip in the Grain.

What are three things you hope to accomplish within the next decade?

Publish a book

Learn to let go – of everything

Make a dent in the list of books I want to read before I die

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Oh, this is a long list. First and foremost, I think, is that I’d deal with my sometimes-toxic insecurity. I’d like to care less about what others think, rely less on the world’s affirmation, be more confident about my own inner voice and inherent worth. This would also manifest in more generosity towards others, I think, if I was gentler to myself. Other than that? Stop getting cold sores, sleep better, have less muscular legs, have a sense of pitch, be a better athlete.

How has blogging changed who you are or how you see yourself?

It has begun to make me see myself, rarely and for only a fleeting second, but still, sometimes, as a writer.

Do you have a good luck charm, something you carry with you or a mantra you say or necklace or outfit you wear when you need that little something extra?

A locket of my grandmother’s that I inherited that contains baby pictures of my sister and me. Five notebooks, filled in my own handwriting, with poetry and quotes. I started in 1985 and I adore those books. A silver key ring that my father gave to my mother on my first birthday, with her monogram on one side and mine on the other.