Stuff
Janis Owens Revealed
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. Happy woman bright woods barking dogs books and books
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. It'll all work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, it isn't the end.
- Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
- A. Being content to live in the moment. And Mama's barbecued chicken. And stumbling upon a book I've never heard of that I really love.
- Q. What’s your greatest fear?
- A. Failure. North Atlanta rush hour traffic. Any rush hour traffic.
- Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
- A. Right here sitting on my futon in Newberry Florida. For the moment.
- Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
- A. Underdogs.
- Q. Which living person do you most admire?
- A. Nelson Mandela
- Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
- A. "Well don't tell them I said it, but...."
- Q. What do you regret most?
- A. Time wasted on fear.
- Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
- A. Healing the sick (seriously.)
- Q. What is your greatest achievement?
- A. My children, greatest. Marriage, two and books, three. Or maybe faith is number one.
- Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
- A. Fear
- Q. What’s your best quality?
- A. Not listening to fear much anymore.
- Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
- A. Can't think of anyone but me.
- Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
- A. Height and hillbilly accent.
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
- A. Bilbo Baggins
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
- A. Don't care for the villains.
- Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
- A. Stonewall Jackson: would tell him to quit being a freaking martyr and let the medics treat him. When he goes, there goes old Dixie. Would also like to ask my paternal great-grandmother if she really died of a hex. And who put it on her. And why.
- Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
- A. One word answers.
- Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
- A. Reading
- Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
- A. This is it.
- Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
- A. Kindness, laughter, sincerity
- Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
- A. Fried chicken wings
- Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
- A. Midnight Mile, I See Jesus, Graceland, Jessica, Soldier's Joy
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. At the risk of offending the million writer friends, and just off the top of my head, here are current and old favorites, constantly shifting, though the core remains the same: Truman Capote, Tennesee Williams, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Dani Shapiro, Robert Leleux, Pat Conroy & Cassandra King; Evelyn Waugh, John Toland, George Plimpton, JRR Tolkien, Connie May Fowler, Rick Bragg... my mind has gone completely blank. Give me a while and I'll add more.
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A. Brideshead Revisited, Biography of a Place, The Hobbitt, The Reivers, The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes; anything by Conroy; anything by Capote, includng his grocery list.
- Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
- A. All of them. If I like them, I'll reread. If I love them, I'll read till they fall apart.
- Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
- A. Never give up love of reading. Writing will end; reading will last.
- Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
- A. What is your mother's maiden name.
- Q. How did you come to write Cracker Kitchen?
- A. Was eating breakfast with Florida Cracker expert, Dana Ste. Claire, and he asked if I'd ever consider going on tour to talk about Cracker. I told him sure, and he said I had to write a cookbook to take along because that's all Crackers ever wanted to talk about: food. Well, almost all.
