Archives for February 11, 2009

Only for you, Terry:
1. Was named with Laura Petrie in mind.

2. Have never broken a bone, gotten stitches, or had surgery.

3. Was a girl scout, but not long enough to earn any badges.

4. Was the tallest girl in my grade until about age 12 and loved it. A doctor told my parents I would grow up to be 5’9″ but I never made it. I’m 5’7″ and still disappointed.

5. Favorite song at age 4: “Brand New Key” by Melanie.

6. Poems I know by heart: “Kubla Khan,” “To Autumn,” “The Tyger,” “Spring and Fall, to a Young Child,” “Full Fathom Five” from the Tempest.

7. Desperately miss sending and receiving mail through the post office.

8. Don’t have a musical bone in my body…

9. …but can bake a mean cake.

10. Never took a course in philosophy, economics, or psychology…

11. …but was a crack student in math, testing through the roof, and still wonder what might have been.

12. Flunked my first driving test while pulling out of the parking spot.

13. Wish to travel to Alaska, the Scottish Highlands, and the Canadian Rockies; think beaches are overrated.

14. Look something up in the dictionary most days–in the book, not the Web site.

15. Coffee snob.

16. In a high school writing workshop, submitted an epistolary roman à clef short story that was passed around the entire student population and made its shy author, for a short time, notorious.

17. Worked at the publishing imprint that bought and then rejected Dreams From My Father.

18. First book review assignment ever: a life of River Phoenix.

19. As a child, was approached in a Toronto park to shoot a spot for a television ad promoting the Canadian kids’ show The Friendly Giant. Had to say “I like Geoffrey Giraffe” and received a Canadian dollar for my efforts, which my parents still have.

20. Paid $250 a month in rent when I last lived in New York in 1993. Actually, it wasn’t rent but lawyers’ fees–the tenants were suing the owners at the time.

21. Have read Pride and Prejudice more times than any other book.

22. Was president of student council in 9th grade, before switching to private school and becoming shy.

23. Have checked off every movie I’ve seen in my copy of Pauline Kael’s 5001 Nights at the Movies.

24. Wish I were a morning person; I love being up in the early morning, once I get over the pain, but rarely get up earlier than I have to.

25. Can never have too many socks. There’s no such thing.

Ralph Fiennes performs excerpts from Brian Friel’s Faith Healer on Broadway in 2006. The production was directed by Jonathan Kent:

(This is the latest in a weekly series of arts-related videos that appear in this space each Wednesday.)

“Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.”
E.B. White, Here Is New York