Interview with Chris Cooper

Quick Start

SS: How would you describe your life in only 8 words?

CC: Continually rearranging the 26 letters of the alphabet

SS: What is your motto or maxim?

CC: A life is only as important as the effect it has on others

What Readers want to know...

SS: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?

CC: Hiking in Yosemite

SS: Which living person do you most admire?

CC: Joe Paterno

SS: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?

CC: Playing the guitar, but then I'd have to sing and that wouldn't be pretty

SS: What is your greatest achievement?

CC: Running a marathon in under three hours

SS: What’s your greatest flaw?

CC: Being a diehard Cubs fan

SS: What’s your best quality?

CC: Plays well with others

SS: What trait is most noticeable about you?

CC: I'm thin. But look, I'm a runner, okay?

SS: Who is your favorite fictional hero?

CC: Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

SS: Who is your favorite fictional villain?

CC: Boris (and Natasha) from Rocky and Bullwinkle

SS: If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?

CC: I'd ask Abraham Lincoln to give me a writing lesson

SS: What is your biggest pet peeve?

CC: Shoppers in the express lane with too many items

SS: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?

CC: Working at a local winery

SS: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?

CC: Kindness, goodness, patience

SS: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?

CC: Peanut butter

SS: What are your 5 favorite songs?

CC: Blowin' in the Wind, Born to Run, Puff the Magic Dragon, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2, Dvorak Symphony #9

SS: How would you describe perfect happiness?

CC: To love and be loved

SS: What’s your greatest fear?

CC: Not being able to run or write anymore

SS: With whom in history do you most identify?

CC: Charlie Brown from Peanuts

SS: What are your most overused words or phrases?

CC: Rats!

SS: What do you regret most?

CC: Losing a sister

SS: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?

CC: Me

SS: What’s your fantasy profession?

CC: What I'm doing now

Questions About Books and Writing

SS: Is there a book you love to reread?

CC: The Bible

SS: Who are your favorite authors?

CC: Ernest Hemingway, John Muir, Stephen King, Edward Abbey

SS: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?

CC: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Curious George Takes a Job, To Kill a Mockingbird, My First Summer in the Sierra, The Deerslayer

SS: Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?

CC: Keep a pen and paper handy wherever you go to scribble down ideas you will otherwise forget

SS: What comment do you hear most often from your readers?

CC: I'll let you know when I get some

General Questions

SS: What is your birthdate?

CC: 4/25

SS: What were your previous occupations?

CC: Lemonade salesman, Paperboy, Data Analyst, Marketing Consultant

SS: What was/is your favorite job?

CC: Working at a winery

SS: Where did you go to high school and/or college?

CC: Central High School (Philadelphia), Penn State University

SS: Name of your favorite composer or music artist?

CC: Bruce Springsteen

SS: What is your favorite movie?

CC: The Graduate

SS: What is your favorite television show?

CC: M*A*S*H

Get more on Chris Cooper at SimonandSchuster.com