Proust Questionnaire

The highly praised French writer Marcel Proust famously answered the following questionnaire on multiple occasions during his formative years. Proust altered the original English questionnaire that he was given, thus creating the following.

Note: In Little Miss Sunshine, Steve Carrell's character is a devoted scholar of Proust.

Proust Questionnaire - Bryan May

What is your most marked characteristic?

My most marked characteristic is my amicability.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Loyalty

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Loyalty

What do you most value in your friends?

Dedication

What is your principle defect?

My fear of failure

What is your favorite occupation?

Writing

What is your dream of happiness?

Looking back at my entire life and smiling genuinely

What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?

To not be surrounded by love would be the worst fortune of all.

What would you like to be?

I would like to be the person I am, but with the means to write everyday.

In what country would you like to live?

Without doubt, the country in which I would most like to live is Ireland. 

What is your favorite color?

While it was once gray, it is now green.

What is your favorite flower?

I cannot say. While I appreciate the beauty of flowers, I do not have one favorite.

What is your favorite bird?

Cardinal (Come on, I am a BSU grad!!)

Who are your favorite prose writers?

Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornby, Truman Capote

Who are your favorite poets?

Langston Hughes, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Simic, Russell Edson

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Atticus Finch

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?

Holly Golightly

Who are your favorite musicians? (this question originally read "composers")

Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Vincent Gallo, Cat Stevens, Buck 65

Who are your favorite painters?

I know very little about painting, so I cannot state a favorite of mine.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My parents, wife, grandparents, and sister

What are your favorite names?

Bryan is the only one to which I react.

What is it you most dislike?

When people are rude for no discernible reason.

What historical figures do you most despise?

Polk, Hitler, Stalin, J. Edgar Hoover

What event in military history do you most admire?

1959 Cuban Revolution

What reform do you most admire?

1959 Cuban Revolution and the immediate aftermath

What natural gift would you most like to possess?

Courage 

How would you like to die?

Loved

What is your present state of mind?

A tad bit helpless

To what faults do feel most indulgent?

I often take the easy road.

What is your motto?

For this one I will quote Proust himself, "I prefer not to say, for fear it might bring me bad luck."