The Warwick's Questionnaire: Melanie Rehak

The so-called Proust Questionnaire was originally a 19th-century parlor game designed to reveal bits of the soul, personality, & deep secrets of the participants through a series of pointed questions.  Versions of the quiz were re-popularized in the 20th-century by Vanity Fair and Inside the Actors Studio.  Our version - The Warwick's Questionnaire - is a series of ten questions designed to plumb the depths of the souls of visiting authors.

Melanie Rehak is the author of the brand-new Eating For Beginners: An Education in the Pleasures of Food From Chefs, Farmers, and One Picky Kid.  Her previous book, Girl Sleuth, was the recipient of two prestigious mystery awards, the Edgar (for Best Critical/Biographical Work) and the Agatha (for Best Nonfiction.)  She also writes the food column Paper Palate for Bookforum.com and passionately hates celery.

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

• Right now?  That I got on a plane with a two and a half week old baby and flew cross-country just because my older son is so obsessed with surfing I didn’t want him to miss out this summer.  Usually? That I now know what to do with delicata squash and all that zucchini they always have at the farmer’s market.

2. What is your greatest fear?

• That I’ll realize I don’t actually like zucchini. Or that I won’t be able to think of any more books to write and I’ll be out of a career since writing is pretty much the only thing I’m good at.

3. If you were a superhero, what would your power be?

• The ability to make people forget that Facebook and Twitter exist for at least three to four hours every day.

4. If you could bring one writer back from the dead, who would it be?

• Frank O’Hara

5. What is your most treasured possession?

• A late 19th-century watch that belonged to my grandfather and then my father.

6. What do you dislike the most about your appearance?

• My eye bags (though I try to convince myself that eye bags are a writerly affliction to have, and at least they’re a far better one than being an alcoholic or a chain smoker)

7. What are you most looking forward to seeing on your tour stop in San Diego?

• My older son in the ocean - it’s pure, unmitigated, contagious joy.

8. What is your least favorite vegetable?

• Celery. Celery, celery, celery!

9. If you had to cook one meal for Nancy Drew, what would it be?  (Melanie's previous book was Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her.)

• Tea sandwiches made with local ingredients.

10. What is your motto?

• "You’re not made of sugar; you won’t melt."  My father always said this to me when it rained but I think it applies in any situation.

Melanie Rehak will be at Warwick's on Wednesday, August 25th at 7:30pm to discuss and sign her new book, Eating for Beginners.