Five Questions Meme

[osprey_archer]

It’s been ages since I’ve done a meme, but this five questions meme was going around and I couldn’t resist. If you’d like questions, comment “Questions, please!”

Questions from troisoiseaux

1. Who was your childhood hero?

Emily Dickinson. The thing where she was a recluse who never spoke to anyone but sometimes drifted through the fields and woods and went home to weave her gossamer webs of poetry really spoke to me. I understand that in recent years there has been some pushback against Emily Dickinson, The Recluse, but as a child I was blissfully unaware of this and frankly would have lost a lot of interest in her if anyone had managed to convince me that she wasn’t actually as reclusive as all that. You want my heroine to be some NORMIE with a SOCIAL LIFE? Get out. Emily and I will sit here blissing out on being nobodies and you can go be a somebody, public as a frog, somewhere else.

2. If you could spend one day with a fictional character (in their world), who would it be?

Oh, this is hard, but upon given the matter serious thought, I think I would visit Greensky (of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Greensky trilogy), because the characters live in a tree city on a planet with such light gravity that they can glide just by stretching out their arms so their shubas (big cloaks that are bound at the wrist) act like wings. I would fly!

And also preferably I would be about eight so that I could spend the day hanging out with Teera and Pomma as their new best friend and we could all play telepathy games together.

3. What's your favorite type of weather?

A crisp, sunny autumn day, with just enough of a breeze to send the leaves skittering along the paths.

4. You can teleport anywhere, but only twice (there & back)! Where do you go?

Oh, this is hard! I think I’d pick Japan, though, because I’ve never been there and the plane ride is sooooo long. I would spend a month or so journeying about Japan, hitting Tokyo and Kyoto of course but also some of the smaller and less famous places (have not yet done a lot of research on where exactly), and then teleport home.

5. What's your favorite holiday and/or specific holiday tradition?

This is so basic, but I love decorating the Christmas tree. Once the tree is up and the lights are on (the hard bits), I get a hot chocolate and turn on the Christmas carols and unpack the ornaments, and it’s so nice to see them again after they’ve been packed away for a year, and reminisce about, oh, I got this one in Chicago when I was visiting Rachel, and this one is from the Irvington Holiday Bazaar, and these little guys came from the Bloomington Nutcracker and I named this ballerina Nina because I watched Black Swan that year…

Comments

[philomytha]

Oh hard same with decorating the Christmas tree, definitely the best bit of Christmas.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it's so lovely. Sometimes I'll hear about someone contracting out their Christmas tree decoration and it's like - but that's the best bit! What's next? Contracting out the hard work of present-unwrapping??

[troisoiseaux]

the characters live in a tree city on a planet with such light gravity that they can glide just by stretching out their arms so their shubas (big cloaks that are bound at the wrist) act like wings. I would fly!

I haven't heard of this series, but this is an ENCHANTING concept.

[osprey_archer]

The series is not as well-known as it would otherwise deserve because (IMO) the third book isn't as good as the first two, but the first two are some of my all-time favorites, the second one especially. It's just a wonderful balance of magically enchanting worldbuilding and "this world has problems, actually," but the problems do NOT undermine the magically enchanting bits.

[troisoiseaux]

Also, I'm up for a round 2, so: questions, please!

[osprey_archer]

1. First Shakespeare play you saw?
2. Favorite Arthurian character?
3. Favorite Greek myth?
4. You can visit one historical event. Which one would you pick?
5. If you could magically have an author finish one of their unfinished works, which book by which author?

[asakiyume]

Hope you do get to Japan one day! And yeah, I'd go to Greensky, definitely.

[osprey_archer]

If and when I get it together to go to Japan, I will of course be asking you for all sorts of advice! And if I ever get a chance to go to Greensky, the first thing I'll ask is "Can I bring a friend?"

[littlerhymes]

Imagining you and Emily sitting quietly together, 5 feet apart, in total silence. BLISS.

[osprey_archer]

Emily and I chat occasionally, but ONLY if we feel like it. Also go for rambles in the woods, and Emily teaches me the name of every bird and flower.

[regshoe]

You want my heroine to be some NORMIE with a SOCIAL LIFE? Get out.

:D I don't know much about Dickinson but this is very relatable.

Aww, seeing all the Christmas decorations again each year is lovely. As are carols and hot chocolate!

[osprey_archer]

Seeing the Christmas decorations again each year is like watching the flowers come back each spring. Daffodils? Is that really you? And the teddy bear riding the train!

[lokifan]

Yessss I love those autumn days! Gorgeous :D

I'd probably pick Japan too, esp since it's #1 on my list to visit other than Turkey - which is much, much closer.

Aw, decorating the tree is lovely. It's all about nostalgia for me, the years when I get home early enough to put up the family one with my sisters.

[osprey_archer]

I hope you get to go to both Turkey and Japan someday! I visited Turkey with my mom once, because my mom's friend had married a Turkish man and we were visiting her, and we had a really lovely time.

Putting up a Christmas tree is always fun, but a family tree with lots of nostalgia is best of all.