EW Questions

I always enjoy the author Q&A in Entertainment Weekly's book section, but the various authors' answers barely register. I'm too preoccupied with answering the questions for myself.

So...

My favorite book as a child:
I remember saving up my money to buy my own books from our local independent bookseller, Boreen Books. My favorites were from the Three Investigators Series. One book cost $1.95, or about six hours of babysitting. I also liked the outdoor adventures It Started with Old Man Bean by David Kherdian and My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, and my copy of The Mad Scientists' Club by Bertrand R. Brinley is literally disintegrating because I reread it so often. I realize now that all these stories centered exclusively on boy characters. I guess I just imagined myself in the stories, as one of them. It never occurred to me that I couldn't be as adventurous as they were.

The book that cemented me as a writer:
The book that cemented me as a storyteller was Stephen King's short story collection Night Shift. I couldn't believe he kept "going there." As for style, anything by Kate DiCamillo. I admire the way she crafts and ends her chapters.

The movie I've watched over and over again:
If I happen across The American President on television, I'm done for. Sorkin is a writing genius. Same for Working Girl, actually. I didn't see either of them in real theaters. But if I had, I'm pretty sure I would have given them standing ovations. Note: They aren't my favorite movies of all time, actually, just eminently rewatchable. Some of the best movies aren't.

The last book that made me cry:
...is also the last book that made me laugh out loud: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I've been recommending it to everyone.

The first album that I ever bought:
In about 1980 I saved up (more babysitting) to buy two: Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits (great tunes) and Andy Gibb's Shadow Dancing (great hair). I loved holding and looking at the album covers.

My literary hero:
Almost every character in To Kill a Mockingbird. I admire Scout's curiosity, Jem's empathy, Dill's bravery, Atticus' integrity, and Miss Maudie's hopefulness. Basically, I want to be them.

My last TV binge:
It's summer, and I'm writing every day. No time for television binges!

The song that always makes me feel better:
Jackson 5, "I Want You Back." It fills my head with good vibes from my childhood in the 1970s and dancing baby Groot.

The group of fictional pals I dream of joining:
Probably those mad scientists. They were smart. And they had a lot of goofy fun.

My favorite movie:
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is perfect, yes? My high school friends and I had it pretty much memorized. I must admit that I'm not quite sure what happens after the rabbit in the cave bit because I'm usually asleep by then.

The book people might be surprised to learn I love:
Well, they might be surprised to know how many times I've read Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief and its sequels The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. I read them through twice a year.

An illicit book I had to read in secret as a child:
When I was just learning to read, my dad's youngest brother lived in our basement. One day I snuck into his bedroom and stole a book of his. It was the only one I found with with pictures (a map of Dallas). It turned out to be about the JFK assassination. I didn't understand any of it. But I thought if I just kept trying, it would eventually make sense. At seven years old, I'm not sure I knew what the JFK assassination was, let alone a conspiracy theory.

The TV show that doesn't get its due:
Jeopardy? The first five seasons of Supernatural? The Middle? Anything that's campy sci-fi, like Killjoys?

The fictional place I've dreamed of moving to:
I'd visit Shakespeare's London. But I wouldn't move there. Because toiletries and antibiotics.

What I'm reading now:
I just organized my summer reading for 2016. I think I'll start with a rereading of Pat Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. But first I have to finish Kiera Cass' The Selection series. Just one book to go.

Old Eyes, New Glasses

My eyes are getting older.

This is troublesome when it comes to writing, because the correct prescription for my contacts and glasses works best on objects a full arm's length away or further. So in order to write on my desktop computer, I have to push my chair back just a bit. Writing on my laptop is trickier, because it sits closer than an arm's length away. Of course I can use readers. But mostly I just make the font size larger and sit by a bright light.

I tried monovision lenses -- one eye's contact just a little reduced in power so reading is easier with that eye. But I grew tired of everything, whether close or far away, being just a little blurry ALL THE TIME. So I'm back to my true prescription in both eyes, and reading/writing is difficult.

Regular me:

I recently bought my first pair of bifocals. Wow, were they expensive. And I have no idea where they are. Somehow I've never lost a single pair of cheap readers, but the spendy bifocals have taken a runner. Still, I'm not missing them much.

A new plan hatched a few weeks ago.

I ordered glasses specifically for mid-distance (e.g. a computer screen), complete with a filter that blocks blue screen light.

So far, I like them.

Computer-ready me: