Joshilyn Jackson takes on Proust
Because virtually all great work is, at best, derivative, the following idea for questions was blatantly stolen from James Lipton (who blatantly stole it from Bernard Pivot, who blatantly stole it from Marcel Proust). Here's how Joshilyn Jackson , NYT Bestselling author, answered the Smokey Variation of the Proust Questionnaire on a bitterly cold February Sunday in Asheville: Smokey Joe: What word do you love that you’ve never used in a book? Joshilyn Jackson: I don’t know. I’m writing my eighth book. I’ve probably never used inchoate. I can’t imagine that I’ve ever used inchoate. But if I have, I’m sorry. SJ: If you could eliminate one word from the English language... JJ (before I could get the rest of the question out): Moist. No people should ever say that word again. Ooh…also tender (said derisively). Although you can use tender if you want to speak of a cut of meat. Moist has to go. SJ: What’s the best part about being a writer? JJ: I’m never bored.