For years, Vanity Fair closed each edition with its own Proust questionnaire of a celebrity, which I always read even when it was my introduction to the celebrity in question.
Turns out Proust merely prompted what became a popular party game and perhaps more.
Still, I’ve found that these can be a fine prompt for self-reflections, especially when I was drafting contributor’s notes to accompany my literary appearances in small-press periodicals.
Here goes.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being centered in the Holy Now within a circle of those I love and trust.
What is your greatest extravagance? Dining out. Or entry-level boutique wines.
What is your current state of mind? Littered across too many fields.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Actions rooted in a sense of duty or obligation, rather than passion or desire.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Patriotism.
What is your favorite occupation? Deep writing and revision when the act becomes a form of prayer.
What is your most marked characteristic? Serious, with a twist of lime.
What do you most value in your friends? Spiritual warmth.
What do you most dislike / deplore about your appearance? Aging, and all that comes with it.
Which living person do you most despise? Besides Trump and his toadies on the Supreme Court?
On what occasion do you lie? Not lies, exactly, but less than full disclosure under uncomfortable conditions.
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