Dana L. Church is having a banner year. Her first book, the non-fiction middle grade THE BEEKEEPERS, was published last month by Scholastic Focus and another book, THINKING ANIMALS, recently sold to Orca Books. In celebration, we decided to have her answer the famous Proust Questionnaire.
What is your greatest fear?
Have you seen the movie Open Water where a couple is stranded at sea surrounded by sharks? Biggest fear of my life.
Which living person do you most admire?
It’s a tie between David Suzuki and Jane Goodall.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Books. I buy lots of books. And expensive loose-leaf tea.
On what occasion do you lie?
When my kids ask me a question and I want to protect their innocence.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My hair. It’s curly and frizzy and has a mind of its own and I’ve always been jealous of thick, straight hair. But if you ask my kids, I have the ugliest feet in the world.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Apparently, I use exclamation marks a lot. But I can’t help it! I get excited when I write!
Which talent would you most like to have?
This will sound utterly ridiculous coming from a writer, but I never learned how to type properly. It’s embarrassing. Oh well. Maybe I’ll learn someday.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to be a better friend to myself. It’s a work in progress.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
To have written a book that is now out in the world.
Who are your favourite writers?
Gosh, I have so many. Robert Munsch (The Paper Bag Princess is one of my top favourite books), Alan Bradley, Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, Kate DiCamillo, Malcolm Gladwell, A. A. Milne...just to name a few.
Who is your favourite hero of fiction?
I absolutely adore Flavia de Luce from Alan Bradley’s Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I love her voice, her passion for chemistry, her sharp wit, her cleverness, her bravery and determination, and how much she is disgusted with her older sisters.
Follow Dana on Twitter and Instagram or visit her website danachurchwriter.com
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