Interview with Margaret Peterson Haddix
October, 2009
Margaret Peterson Haddix
SS: How would you describe perfect happiness?
MH: Peace
SS: What’s your greatest fear?
MH: Awful things happening to people I love
SS: What are your most overused words or phrases?
MH: Suddenly, just, even, and then
SS: What’s your fantasy profession?
MH: Writing! Lucky me!
SS: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
MH: Depending on my mood, either 1. Home or 2. Someplace I've never been before
SS: Which living person do you most admire?
MH: Dr. Paul Farmer
SS: What do you regret most?
MH: 1. Hurting other people; 2. Making a fool of myself; 3. Doing things that both hurt others and make me look like a fool
SS: What is your greatest achievement?
MH: I hope it's something that I haven't done yet
SS: What’s your greatest flaw?
MH: Thinking that I'm too busy to do things that are actually more important than the things I am busy with
SS: What’s your best quality?
MH: Empathy
SS: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
MH: Reading
SS: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
MH: Isn't that kind of the point of fiction? Getting to imagine being lots of other people?
SS: What were your previous occupations?
MH: newspaper reporter, newspaper copy editor, freelance writer, community college instructor, substitute teacher
SS: What was/is your favorite job?
MH: writing fiction
SS: Where did you go to high school and/or college?
MH: College--Miami University (the one in Ohio, not Florida) high school--Miami Trace High School, Washington Court House, Ohio
SS: What is your favorite movie?
MH: I have two: Pleasantville, and Steel Magnolias
SS: Who are your favorite authors?
MH: Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Mary Doria Russell, Neal Shusterman, Cynthia Voigt, Edward Bloor, E.L. Konigsburg and many more
SS: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
MH: I don't think I could possibly narrow my choices down to 5 favorite books, but if I remember right, these were probably my 5 favorite books when I was 12: She, the Adventuress, by Dorothy Crayder From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
SS: How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
MH: Always so much to think about
Get more on Margaret Peterson Haddix at SimonandSchuster.com
Margaret Peterson Haddix
What Readers want to know...
SS: How would you describe perfect happiness?
MH: Peace
SS: What’s your greatest fear?
MH: Awful things happening to people I love
SS: What are your most overused words or phrases?
MH: Suddenly, just, even, and then
SS: What’s your fantasy profession?
MH: Writing! Lucky me!
SS: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
MH: Depending on my mood, either 1. Home or 2. Someplace I've never been before
SS: Which living person do you most admire?
MH: Dr. Paul Farmer
SS: What do you regret most?
MH: 1. Hurting other people; 2. Making a fool of myself; 3. Doing things that both hurt others and make me look like a fool
SS: What is your greatest achievement?
MH: I hope it's something that I haven't done yet
SS: What’s your greatest flaw?
MH: Thinking that I'm too busy to do things that are actually more important than the things I am busy with
SS: What’s your best quality?
MH: Empathy
SS: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
MH: Reading
SS: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
MH: Isn't that kind of the point of fiction? Getting to imagine being lots of other people?
General Questions
SS: What were your previous occupations?
MH: newspaper reporter, newspaper copy editor, freelance writer, community college instructor, substitute teacher
SS: What was/is your favorite job?
MH: writing fiction
SS: Where did you go to high school and/or college?
MH: College--Miami University (the one in Ohio, not Florida) high school--Miami Trace High School, Washington Court House, Ohio
SS: What is your favorite movie?
MH: I have two: Pleasantville, and Steel Magnolias
Questions About Books and Writing
SS: Who are your favorite authors?
MH: Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Mary Doria Russell, Neal Shusterman, Cynthia Voigt, Edward Bloor, E.L. Konigsburg and many more
SS: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
MH: I don't think I could possibly narrow my choices down to 5 favorite books, but if I remember right, these were probably my 5 favorite books when I was 12: She, the Adventuress, by Dorothy Crayder From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
Quick Start
SS: How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
MH: Always so much to think about
Get more on Margaret Peterson Haddix at SimonandSchuster.com
