Eileen Cook: A Self Portrait
Eileen Cook Revealed
About Eileen Cook
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. How do people do this?! I keep making a list and then changing it. My life is quiet and chaotic, safe and risky, lonely and crowded--it all depends. I think I will take the wimpy way out and say I am too complex to summed up in 8 words.
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. Carpe Diem- Seize the day. I would much rather make a mistake then to have never tried at all.
- Q. What’s your greatest fear?
- A. My greatest fear would be to let someone important to me down. However, I also freak out over spiders and other creepy multi-legged creatures. Sometimes I worry they crawl into my mouth when I'm sleeping.
- Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
- A. Home curled up with a good book and my dog.
- Q. Which living person do you most admire?
- A. My mom is a total class act. Plus she put up with me when I was growing up and although I am sure she was tempted she didn't kill me and hide my body in the backyard.
- Q. What do you regret most?
- A. I don't regret anything I've done-- but I do regret not doing some things because I was afraid of looking stupid or failing.
- Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
- A. I really wish I could sing. My complete lack of talent does not stop me from singing, it's merely unpleasant for those around me.
- Q. What is your greatest achievement?
- A. I moved to Europe by myself to go to school. I discovered I could travel by myself, solve all kinds of problems and that I really liked my own company.
- Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
- A. I can be a total drama queen in certain situations. Sometimes I am the calm and rational one, but without warning it can switch. I'm sure this makes me a joy to live with.
- Q. What’s your best quality?
- A. I can make people laugh.
- Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
- A. I spent a long time wishing I was more like someone else-- cuter, more athletic, smarter, etc. Now I'm glad to be me.
- Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
- A. When I'm really laughing hard I do this really nasty snorting thing. If you heard it, you would know I must be around somewhere.
- Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
- A. Reading. I am one of those people who breaks out into hives if I don't have a stack of good books ready to go.
- Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
- A. I was a total drama geek in school so I would love to be an actress.
- Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
- A. Warm homemade bread fresh out of the oven. mmmm carbs....
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. Picking favorites is hard-- there are so many great books and authors out there. Some people that I always read include: Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, Judy Blume, Megan McCafferty, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin, and Jennifer Weiner.
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen All American Girl by Meg Cabot, and I can't pick a number five because there are too many books that would be left out.
- Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
- A. I've read a Prayer for Owen Meany at least five times.
- Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
- A. Read! Books are the best teachers.
- Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
- A. I love to hear when someone tells me my book made them laugh out loud.
