to alejna’s fresh-baked questions, which i requested after reading her wonderful post. if anyone wants me to come up with questions, say the word. this one’s too neat not to want to pass along.

1. If you could go back and relive any time from your life (and not necessarily have to relive whatever time followed), what time or event would you go back to?

uff. tough one. would i have to relive it exactly the same, or could i change it?

it’s hard to think of a time when i wasn’t confused about one thing or another (who i was, what i was doing, where i was going). one of the things i’m enjoying about getting older is that i’m more centered: while i’d be hard pressed to say i’m less confused, i think it bothers me less than it used to because i have a more solid sense of self. i still don’t know what i’m doing (although the interwebs is a great help for things like deciding when to fertilize the azaleas) or where i’m going (again, the interwebs to the rescue – mapquest!), but i’m happier just winging it. i’d like to think it’s because i learned something from all those times i’d rather not relive, but it might just be the zoloft.

2. I like to say the word “pants.” I think “pants” is a funny word. What words do you find funny? What words do you like saying, or just generally like?

i think “grackle” is a funny word. so is “sweetheart,” because the “th” jumps out at me even though there’s no “th” sound in it. i like the word “sugar” as a term of endearment, and i use it fairly often. some of my favorite words, however, are entirely made up. snuffy, for example, is a master fartriloquist – he has the amazing ability to throw his farts, so that you hear them (and, unfortunately, smell them) even when he is nowhere in sight. i also like “blarfsnot,” which i probably picked up from a douglas adams book and usually use as an interjection. (i have schoolhouse rock to thank for being able to identify “blarfsnot” as an interjection.) INterJECTshun!

3. If you could go anywhere in the world for a meal, and not have to worry about time or expense, where would you go? What would you eat?

[aside: "meal" is a strange word. it makes me automatically think of "mealy," which is not a good thing.]

i have long been on a search for the perfect gnocchi. (another great word, both to read and say.) the closest i have found was in a tiny restaurant on mykonos. i’d go back there in a heartbeat, if i didn’t have to wait in line.

4. Let’s go the inanimate object route. Imagine that you are a suitcase. Describe yourself and your contents. (Okay, that’s not actually a question.)

i’d have to say i’m a beat-up carryon, scarred and stained but structurally sound. the kind of suitcase you don’t have to worry about getting dinged because it would just add character, but wouldn’t want to check because if the airline lost it, it would be a pain in the ass to replace. you don’t remember where you got it, it seems like you’ve always had it, and chances are it was a hand-me-down.

contents? the necessities, and some odds and ends i’ve picked up along the way. a few changes of underwear, a good book or three, a sketchpad, some pencils and pens. probably some smushed granola bars hiding in a side pocket. socks. a bathing suit. a few unworn lembranças do senhor do bomfim da bahia, knotted together. there’s still quite a bit of space in me – i’m not nearly filled up.

5. If you could have any job in the world (past, present or fictitious), and all of the qualifications to do that job well, what job would you have? Why?

master silversmith. it comes from a combination of reading johnny tremain in grade school, and taking metalworking at RISD. there’s something intensely satisfying to me about working in silver. the medium has definite limitations, so each project is like a logic puzzle. and despite the need for technical skill, there’s still an element of chance, especially when casting or pickling. silver has always struck me as a sincere metal – unlike gold, it only comes in one color; it isn’t ridiculously rare, expensive, or finicky to work with; and if neglected, it will tarnish and leave nasty smudges on your skin or clothes. i can relate to silver.

Bonus question (not one I made up):

You are in Louisiana; New Orleans to be specific. There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of Biblical proportions. You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you’re caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You’re trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury. Suddenly you see a man floundering in the water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer… somehow the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It’s George W. Bush, President of the United States!! At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under… forever. You have two options – you can save the life of G.W. Bush, or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world’s most powerful men. So here’s the question, and please give an honest answer:

Would you select high-contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?

black and white, hands down. but what’s this “film” you speak of?