I must
confess that I, too, read this feature in the NYT Book section. It’s called By
the Book. They always ask the same questions of well-known writers. I
find out quickly if we are like-minded by their answers.
Ursula
LaGuin’s fiction is legendary, (and written as the stuff of legend) even if not
what I am drawn to reading. Her tastes are both classical and also run toward
the sort of books she writes.
Where I find
she is a “sister” is in her distaste for “Best”
sorts of questions—Best book? Best film? Most overrated? The very notion is
ludicrous, but the answers are entertaining so we like this feature anyhow.
I don't say
it’s absurd because it is subjective, obviously, but because even for a single
subjective point of view this is a changing feeling and not something you want
immortalized in print. “Single most overrated” today is a different one
tomorrow, depending on what you are reading. It’s fine for a dinner
conversation with friends, but not so much for a public interview that will be
available possibly long after you left this world.
We have
abused “Most” and “Best” to death.
Blogger
interviews have also taken this trend on full steam, and even lowly me (I) have
had to face and fend off such questions.
I was put in
my place years ago when my then-eight year-old informed me he doesn’t answer “who’s
your best friend” questions. His reasons echo the ones I mentioned, and I
realized how we begin this senseless conditioning of thinking about the subtle
and complex as a horse race. I owe him big for it. After that, I never watched another
Oscar show without seeing it as pure entertainment devoid of real substance.
The Best movie of the year? Nah.
But it’s
still entertaining to see the “losers” (I know, na-ah) and the glowing winners,
and hope for a moment of reality, because it is live and so little isn't packaged these days.
For the
record—I had a ready made answer for “favorite food,” “favorite color,” and “favorite subject” and such
while I was growing up.
Then DS set
me right, and I grew up.
6 comments:
The only favorite anything I have is person and that's my daughter because she's my world. As for everything else, I just can't pick one.
Love this^
Now what I find interesting are the Labels you list for your blog post. :) As for best and favorite, I have too many to make those decisions, but I do try to be accommodating if someone asks me such a question in an interview.
I have a favorite type of food, hands down--Indian food. Pipe it into my veins. What a wise reply your son had. I need to remember it.
Kids always ask which is my favorite of my books - I learned from another wise writer to always respond with, "the one I'm working on now" - because we always hope it'll be better.
One of the earliest questions we often ask kids is 'Which is your favourite colour?' and that does seem unfair, for why must a kid prize one colour she likes over another that she also likes? Still, I must confess to tripping up sometimes.
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