The Warwick's Questionnaire: Steven Kotler

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.

Steven Kotler is the author of Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life and the founder of Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary.  He lives in New Mexico with his wife and "too many dogs." (He visited Warwick's on October 11, 2010.)

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

• Honestly, I have no idea.

2. What is your greatest fear?

• I tend not to think in those terms. I look at fear as a directional sign. I have found that the things that I love most in life are on the other side of fear. So I try to go right at what scares me. Sort of ruins the question...

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

• Teleportation.

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

• Hemingway. Wow, would I love to look over his shoulder while he was editing.

5. What is your most treasured possession?

• I still have the first stuffed animal (a seal) I ever had. From when I was a little kid. In a weird way it was the first animal I ever loved.

6. Which living person do you most admire?

• My wife.

7. If you were not able to be in the writing profession, what would your preferred occupation be?

• I don't know if you'd call it an occupation, but I would definitely spend way more time surfing, skiing, mountain biking etc.

8. How many dogs is "too many" dogs?

• It varies. And it's hard to count. But around 30.

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

• The ocean.

10.What is your motto?

• I don't know if I have a motto, but I once got a chance to ski with Johnny Deslaurie - one of the first "extreme skiers." I asked him what the secret to getting better was and he told me: "you go as fast as you f-ing can until you crash - that's how you get better." I find these words often apply to my life.