The Proust Questionnaire, with David Groulx

October 31, 2012 - David Groulx is Open Book's November 2012 Writer in Residence. In his answer to the Proust Questionnaire, David tells us his dream of happiness, his favourite authors and more.

The Proust Questionnaire was not invented by Marcel Proust, but it was a much loved game by the French author and many of his contemporaries. The idea behind the questionnaire is that the answers are supposed to reveal the respondent's "true" nature.

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What is your dream of happiness?
Good friends, good music, cold beer.

What is your idea of misery?

Hospital stays.

Where would you like to live? 

Someplace hot, but not hell.

What qualities do you admire most in a man?

Tolerance.

What qualities do you admire most in a woman?

Patience (in my erring ways).

What do you value most about your friends?

Kindness.

What characteristic do you dislike most in others?

Inability to keep a secret.

What is your favourite virtue? 

Loyalty & humour.

What is your favourite occupation?

I’ve always wanted to be an astronomer.

What would you like to be? 

Invisible, being a poet in Canada, you almost are.

What is your favourite colour?
Red, I think it looks good on me.

What is your favourite flower?
Dandelion, must be the toughest flower in the world.

What is your favourite bird?

Turkey, whenever one around its a celebration. A bird always associated with get-togethers.

What character in history do you most dislike? 

Brian Mulroney & General Custer.

Who are your favourite prose authors?

Charles Dickens, Lawrence Martin, Erasmus, John Kenneth Galbraith.

Who are your favourite poets? 

Tiffany Midge, Jeff Bien, Joseph Brodsky.

Who are your favourite heroes in fiction? 

Magua from Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans.

Who is your favourite painter? 

Jacob Jordaens, Daphne Odjig.

Who is your favourite musician? 

Solomon Burke, Chet Baker, The Hag.

What is your favourite food? 

Steak & Eggs.

What is your favourite drink? 

Cognac neat.

What are your favourite names? 

Hector, Blue & Shakey.

What is it you most dislike?

Authority & hangovers.

What natural talent would you most like to possess? 

The ability to sing.

How do you want to die? 

Kicking & screaming.

What is your current state of mind?
Puerile.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? 

Working on it.

What is your motto? 
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. - Ian Fleming