1. What single thing would improve the quality
of your life?
The obvious answer is “a giant pile of money,” but would
that really improve the quality of my life? The truly meaningful things in my
life have nothing to do with money, but are all about people, emotional
experiences, creative exploration, internal reflection, etc. Sure, I’d love to
be able to support my friends and colleagues in the industry by buying more
books. Yes, my broken-down subcompact
car isn’t meeting my transportation needs in the most effortless way. All
right, I’d give my left arm for a personal office devoted entirely to my
writing career.
Does that really mean a giant pile of money would improve
the quality of my life. YES, obviously. But that makes me sound like such a materialistic
chowderhead! So instead of “a big pile of money” I’m gonna say a complete set
of All-Clad cookware. The heat distribution in those pans is flipping amazing. They’re
really expensive, though – buying a full set means spending a giant pile of mon—huh.
Wait a minute…
2. What is your guiltiest pleasure?
For years I tried to up my quotient of hipster music
snobbery, which introduced me to some really great music but was toxic for my
intellectual and emotional health. One person’s guilty pleasure is another
person’s cultural touchstone, so who am I to say what’s universally good or
bad? I haven’t entirely shaken those attitudes, unfortunately, but a number of
years ago I heard about Richard Thompson’s 1000 Years of Music tour. In the
course of a single show he plays every kind of music under the sun, including
“Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears, and apparently he does it straight, no
irony, no mockery, no sarcasm. So, following his example, I’ll profess my
fondness for Avril Lavigne’s breakout hit, “Complicated.” I love that song. I
might learn to play it just so I can record myself performing it for a vlog
post.
3. What is the worst job you’ve done?
A couple of buddies and I spent one desolate summer working
on the assembly line in a Worcestershire sauce factory. We’d empty crates of
garlic onto a table, sort through them for assorted garbage (of which there was
quite a variety – pens! Already-chewed gum! An entire pack of cigarettes!),
push the garlic into the hopper of a huge industrial garlic press, cap the
resulting barrels of garlic juice, and roll the barrels into a storage room.
The smell was incredible - I’d drive home with the windows rolled all the way
down, leave my shoes outside, and stuff my work clothes into a sealed plastic
bag until laundry day. On the plus side, none of us were attacked by vampires
that summer.
4. What one word do you think describes you
best?
Hmm. That’s a tough one…I’d say “creative,” but geez, that makes
me sound a lot more together and self-assured than I actually am. I could also
say “expressive,” but aaargh, that doesn’t capture the complexity of it all!
I’m profoundly introverted, but is that THE word? How about conflicted? Self-contradictory?
Indecisive?
5. What is your
favorite word?
I’ve always had a fondness for “defenestration.”
“Hornswoggle” is another good one, and I’ve made liberal use of “troglodyte” in
my Facebook status updates. “Gobsmacked” also has its own peculiar kind of
aesthetic appeal, as does “fisticuffs.”
ABOUT GEEKS, GIRLS AND SECRET IDENTITIES:
Vincent Wu is Captain Stupendous’s No. 1 Fan, but even he has to admit that Captain Stupendous has been a little off lately. During Professor Mayhem’s latest attack, Captain Stupendous barely made it out alive – although he did manage to save Vincent from a giant monster robot. It’s Vincent’s dream come true… until he finds out Captain Stupendous’s secret identity: It’s Polly Winnicott-Lee, the girl Vincent happens to have a crush on.
Captain Stupendous’s powers were recently transferred to Polly in a fluke accident, and so while she has all of his super strength and super speed, she doesn’t know how to use them, and she definitely doesn’t know all the strengths and weaknesses of his many nemeses. But Vincent and his friends are just the right fan club to train up their favorite superhero before he (she?) has to face Professor Mayhem again. And if they make it through this battle for the safety of Copperplate City, Vincent might just get up the courage to ask Polly on a date.
You can preorder GEEKS here.
ABOUT MIKE:
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