Maureen Johnson is the author of The Key to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes (she had nothing to do with the cover art) and the upcoming Devilish. She's got great taste in ice cream, reads grown-up books (shocking!) and is really, really funny:
Book Currently Reading:
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.
CDs Currently in Rotation:
Looking at my iTunes, I think I need an update. There's the new Divine Comedy album, Victory for the Comic Muse. That's been played a lot. I love Roxy Music, so Siren is always in there. David Bowie, Scissor Sisters, Supergrass, Goldfrapp . . . all very regular.
Last Movie Viewed:
The other night, we stumbled in late, and switched on the TV. The original "Bedazzled" with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore was on. I'd never seen it—never even knew about it. It's so good. Peter Cook is a fantastic devil. Nicely relevant to my new book, so I could justify sitting around until 2 am watching tv as "work." No one is falling for it, but who cares?
If you mean in the theater, that would be Pirate of the Caribbean 2. Everyone loves (Captain) Jack Sparrow. Arrrrrr.
Literary Crush (real person or fictional character):
Is it awkward if I say Ron Weasley? How about the Pirate Captain from The Pirates! Also, Robert Benchley (real person) and Bertie Wooster (not as much).
Pet Peeve:
I don't like the sound of drinks being poured over the radio. (Meaning, the sound effect of pouring, not someone pouring liquid over an actual radio.)
Current Obsession:
Amazingly, I am obsession-free at the moment. I do get obsessions a lot. I think it's because I'm in between-drafts mode. Generally, though, I'm a re-reader. I have books I've read a hundred times, bit by bit. Current book: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter Thompson. I've long lost count on what reading I'm on. I just pick it up and start anywhere.
Guilty Pleasures:
Mint chocolate chip ice cream, specifically, Breyers. I can eat a gallon of this and not even notice. This is why I never buy it. Also, British crime dramas, really gory ones.
Irrational Fears:
This one is fairly embarrassing. I can't handle water slides, especially ones with covers, like the tubes. I had visitors last year and took them to a water park, and allegedly I screamed a lot—well above the acceptable "I'm having fun" level. It was much more the "I see a six-inch big spider with great big teeth on my back" kind of scream. That was before I just bagged it completely and held the towels. Five year old children could handle more than I could. But come on. Darkness, water, and confined space . . . that can't be good, right?
Also, jellyfish. Even in places that aren't supposed to have jellyfish.
Favorite Words:
This is one of those impossible questions I always avoid. I'll have to get random. I like the way the British use the word "rubbish." It's so handy and has such a nice feel. We need an equivalent.
Is antijellyfish a word? I'd like that too, if it was.
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