divine angst

1. Who is an author whose work you’ve never read, but want to?

I’m not sure I can think of any authors like this; usually if I want to read something, I read it. I will admit that part of me wishes I could say I’ve read Ulysses, just because it’s such a bear of a book, and I think that will impress people. But the Joyce I’ve read doesn’t make me really want to read it, I just think it will impress people.

But I’ll pick someone. Today, I’d say Chuck Palahniuk, because my friend Emily constantly raves about how great his stuff is. Even Mr. Angst liked Fight Club (although he said he thought the movie was better). If not Palahniuk, then Kerouac. I know, it’s awful, I’ve never even read On the Road. (Sorry, SG.)

2. Can men and women be friends?

I used to think so until my two best guy friends from high school stopped calling me. In both cases, I suspect their girlfriends had a little something to do with it, but I can’t say that with 100% confidence. It may be that they, having girlfriends, decided they couldn’t be friends with me on their own. I honestly always thought I’d be friends with those two guys forever. Now I can’t even find them on Google.

I do think men and women can be friends, but I think the situations where that can comfortably occur are not common. It is true that the sex thing does get in the way, so it’s probably easiest to be friends with a member of the opposite sex if you’re both involved with someone else—seriously involved, like married. I think that makes it easier. Which isn’t to say that two unattached people of the opposite sex can’t be friends, but it’s probably harder to maintain. And then, if either of them does meet someone, the new significant other will invariably have a hard time understanding the friendship. And then you get my two best guy friends ditching me after a decade and a half of friendship.

So, maybe.

3. If you could choose to live in a different time period, would you? If so, when would live and why?

I’m not sure I’d want to live in a different era. I think I fit into this time period pretty well. I think life in Victorian England would be interesting to experience, but I seriously doubt I’d want to stay there. Ditto for the American West in the late 19th century—interesting, but not a place I think I’d want to live forever and ever. At least in the latter, I’d have some freedoms as a woman, freedoms I could just forget about in the former time period.

4. Have you ever sold anything, bought anything, or processed anything as a career? Have you ever sold anything bought or processed, or bought anything sold or processed, or repaired anything sold, bought, or processed, as a career?

Probably.

5. They’re going to make a movie about your life. What’s the theme song?

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Stones. It’s the rest of the chorus that keeps replaying in my mind lately: “But if you try, sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.” Yeah. That’s my life right now. I am trying to get what I need, despite all the things I want.

Thanks for the questions, Fitz-Hume and Milbarge!