20 February 2011

Today Kay interviews her hero

Kay explains 'This questionnaire was invented by the noted French author Marcel Proust'

Interview with hero, Dan Conway: 

Kay - What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Dan Smiles - Making Captain with USMC


Kay - What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Dan - To be worth something, able to contribute in a positive way.

Kay - What is your current state of mind?
Dan frowns thoughtfully, rubs jaw - Confused, unsettled, lonely, contemplative, frustrated.

Kay - What is your favorite occupation?
Dan leans forward a bit - I've been a Marine my whole adult life.

What is your most treasured possession?
He sighs and gives it some thought. Grandfather's dog-tags, mother's box of recipes.

Kay - What or who is the greatest love of your life?
 Dan - It was being a marine. shrugs - Currently . . . my dog and being alone.

Kay - What is your favorite journey?
Dan - Was always a tossup between leaving for deployment and coming home, with all the missions in between.

Kay - What is your most marked characteristic?
Dan sighs and takes a moment to consider - Afraid it's blindness, so do anything not to be noticed.


Kay -When and where were you the happiest? 
Dan - As a marine.

Kay - What is it that you most dislike?
Dan - That slightly helpless feeling when I can't do something sighted people take for granted—that I always used to take for granted. Like see a sunrise or seeing someone you love in the distance. He offers a sad smile.

Kay - What is your greatest fear?
Dan shrugs - That I will never be worth anything/make a contribution again.

Kay - What is your greatest extravagance?
Dan - Computer equipment for things like reading mail, going on internet.

Kay - Which living person do you most despise?
Dan - It's not worth despising others. Takes too much energy and clouds your judgment.

Kay - What is your greatest regret?
Dan turned a fierce glane in my direction - That I couldn't save the little boy who had the bomb strapped to him.

Kay - Which talent would you most like to have?
Dan - Don't know.

Kay - Where would you like to live?
Dan - If I have to put down roots, I like my beach house.

Kay - What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Dan shifted in his seat - Failing someone...failing to help them when they are in trouble, being helpless when they need you.

Kay - What is the quality you most like in a man?
Dan - Honesty.

Kay - What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Dan - Honesty and understanding/empathy.

Kay - What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Dan - Moodiness but can't seem to change it. 

Kay - What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dan - Pity toward me.

Kay - What do you most value in your friends?
Dan - Unconditional friendship

Kay - Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Dan leans back in his chair and crosses his legs - Captain America, other superheroes. Especially like superheroes who have no superpowers.

Kay - Whose are your heroes in real life?
Dan sits taller, straighter - U.S. Marines

Kay - Which living person do you most admire?
Dan - Marine commandant General James T. Conway

Kay - What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Dan - Bravery, especially in context of just performing my job, or being brave because I handle being blind so well—I mean, do I have a choice? How does that make me brave?

Kay - On what occasions do you lie?
Dan - In order to protect someone else or keep them calm (as in telling the little boy with the bomb "it's going to be okay.")

Kay - Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Dan chuckles - Probably "okay."

Kay - If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Dan - I wouldn’t brood as much.

Kay - How would you like to die?
Dan gives my questions some thought before replying - Assuming it's not from old age after a productive life, then let my death have meaning.

Kay - If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Dan - Pit bull

Kay - What is your motto?
Dan, without hesitation and a grin - Semper fi

You've met Kay's hero. Come back tomorrow and meet her heroine.

Heartsight is available at the Astraea Press website

To read the blurb and excerpt come back on Tuesday 22nd
and learn more.
Don't forget to come back for Kay's interview with her heroine tomorrow.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

love the pit bull!

Anonymous said...

Marines call themselves Pit Bulls lol