AMA Answers #1

Here I am, beginning to answer the questions people asked me in response to my "Ask Me Anything" invitation in my 400th post.  Thanks for all the cool questions, everyone!  I'll be answering more in a couple of days.

Daniel

"What is your favorite book (If you had to pick just one)"

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  Only within the last few years have I admitted that, though.  Until I was about 30, I would have said, The Black Stallion by Walter Farley because that was my favorite book since I was about 7 years old, and I have a really hard time admitting to myself that I like something better than what has always been my most favorite.  However, I do now love Jane Eyre more, and have admitted it to the world.

Olivia

"What are your top five TV shows?"

Combat! (1962-67)
Angel (1999-2004)
The Big Valley (1965-69)
Five Mile Creek (1983-85)
Cheyenne (1955-63)

Interestingly, I only watched one of these in its original run, namely Angel.  The rest I've discovered via reruns or videos.  Angel is also the only one I started watching as an adult.

"You love the character of Boromir (as rightly you should!). Do you think that people tend to judge him too harshly?"

I think a lot of people do.  I know that before I went to see The Fellowship of the Ring in the theater for the first time (remember, I had never read the books before I saw the movies), I mentioned to some friends that I was excited about Sean Bean being in it, and one of them said, "Oh, no!  But he's playing the bad guy!"  I was like, "Oh, I'm used to that, I don't care."  I came out of the movie going, "How can you say he's the bad guy?"  Because I don't think of him that way at all, but a lot of people seem to dismiss him as weak or selfish or mean or bad.  (I wrote a big post about him here a while ago, if you want to know more of my thoughts about him.)

"Do you enjoy animated movies?"

Indeed, I do!  I love many animated movies, and I'm working on a list of my top ten to post on my other blog soon.

"Who is your favorite actor (or top three)? How about favorite actress (or top three)?"

Actors:

1.  John Wayne
2.  Hugh Jackman
3.  Val Kilmer

Actresses:

1.  Maureen O'Hara
2.  Sandra Bullock
3.  Doris Day

"And, just because you gave me this question, chocolate and peanut butter or chocolate and mint?"

If I had to choose only one for the rest of my life, chocolate and peanut butter.  But I dearly love chocolate and mint too.

Isaac Benjamin

"Have you read the Poetics by Aristotle?"

Not in its entirety, no.  I did read selections from it, years ago, when I took a class on the history of dramatic criticism.

"Have you read the divine comedy by Dante? Does the first third of it make you squeamish?"

Nope.  So, also, nope.  I've read a few selections from it, and I've read kind of a summary so I know the basics of what it's about, but that's it.  I haven't read his Inferno either.