Prefaces & Afterwords

The Proust Questionnaire is believed to reveal an individual’s true nature. We have asked 2013 Incite authors 17 questions inspired by the questionnaire in an attempt to uncover who they are...

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A shot of pure happiness, unmitigated by worries or anxieties, comes when I've been working very intently, alone, for hours -- and at the end of the day I see clearly that I've accomplished something, on my own.

What does your ideal day look like?
I crawl out of a tent and the day is warm, the coffee hot. For once, I'm not the last one to get her sleeping bag and backpack pulled together. I paddle in the canoe's bow for hours, with trees and rocks rising on every side, then pick a quiet spot for a well-earned meal and sleep. A chorus of frogs keeps me awake, smiling. Or I'm alone for a week or a month, writing for 15 or 20 hours daily; that, too, is bliss. Or I'm driving all day on a road trip, singing along to loud CDs with my two kids, and no one is cranky, and we all feel as though we're where we should be.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Good camping equipment, especially lightweight gear and solar gadgets. It isn't a necessity (like books or food or wine) but it makes me happy and is hard to resist.

What possession would you be heartbroken if you lost?
A big silver ring designed and made by my husband, that I wear on my right hand.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would be braver.

What childhood fear has followed you into adulthood?
The fear of losing those I love. The fear of not being believed.

Do you take comfort in darkness or light?
I yearn for light, but darkness is often a relief. Daylight holds distractions -- and people. I think differently in the dark.

Do you remember your dreams?
I usually do remember my dreams. I wish I could shake some that seem to have been clinging to me for years.

How do you collect snippets of observations and ideas that come to you unexpectedly?
I carry notebooks and write in them. Or on envelopes. Or on my hand. Or I'll use my phone to email myself.

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What book is currently on your bedside table?
I have an ever-growing and ever-changing pile of books on the nightstand. I am currently reading Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing and Mark Dery's I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-By Essays on American Dread, American Dreams. There are five others in the bedside bullpen including George Orwell's essays Why I Write, Craig Nova's Incandescence, Cormac McCarthy's Cities of the Plains, Janna Levin's How the Universe Got Its Spots and Communion Town by Sam Thompson.

When and where do you like to read?
I enjoy any moment I can grab to read. One of my two favorite places is in my big green chair in the living room. I usually have a morning read there with a cup of coffee. My other favorite is reading in bed in the evening. My parents enforced a strict 'read before going to sleep' policy when I was growing up and that has thankfully stuck.

What was the last great book you read?
I recently reread The Geek by Craig Nova and that would definitely be up there. It's the kind of book where, from the first page, you know the author will take good care of you. I love that feeling because it comes with such anticipation... if the first page is that good, I can't wait to see what's to come.

What’s your favourite literary genre?
The downbeat has appealed to me lately. As a reader, I wind up getting really emotionally invested in stories where the protagonist is fighting so hard for so little.  It speaks a lot to the power of hope, to what really matters in a character's struggle and it can be strangely up lifting. Books like Willy Vlautin's Lean on Pete and Stuart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster remained with me long after I closed the book.

Any guilty pleasures?
I don't think there is guilt in reading. If Fifty Shades gets someone reading, more power to them. Outside of that, my guilty pleasure is chicken wings.

Was there a book that changed your life? How old were you and what changed? Is there one book in particular that made you want to write?
The book that changed my life and the one that made me want to write was Rupert Thomson's The Five Gates of Hell. I was around sixteen years old or so when I read it. I was absolutely mesmerized by the story and affected by the tone of the book. In my mind, it was such an amazing spell to be transported so wholly into a fictional world that I knew it was something I wanted to do.

Have you ever written to an author? What is the best letter you’ve received from another writer?
I have written to an author but only once. As a gangly teen, I wrote to Rupert Thomson thanking him for The Five Gates of Hell. It is one of the few books I have read more than twice and the only book I read consecutively. I thought he would like to know. I haven't heard back but I'm sure he's a busy guy. It's never too late Mr. Thomson...

Shortly after Imperfections came out, I attended the Surrey International Writer's Conference. It was a great experience and there was a writer I met there who picked up a copy of the book. Within days of the conference ending, I received email with her thoughts on it. It was a great "stream of consciousness" email that went on for pages. I was thrilled and fascinated by it as it was an amazing look into how she interacted with the book. In the end, she demanded I come read in Montreal, which I look forward to doing at some point. I have received several reader's emails since and really value them. It helps me see if I got my points across and what resonates with a reader as well.

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