Snicket Q&A on The Guardian (June 5, 2013) — Full Transcript
As previously mentioned, Mr. Lemony Snicket has answered some fan questions on The Guardian’s website today. The following is the transcript.
Q: You use very sophisticated vocabulary in your books. What is your favorite word?
A: “Defenestration.”
Q: What is the best mammal to be trapped inside of?
A: The woman you love most, although presumably it would be very uncomfortable for her.
Q: Have you ever tried English pancakes, and if so, do you like them as much as American pancakes? Obviously this is a very important question. Thank you for writing your books.
A: A poached egg is better than either, and I am grateful to find a companion who agrees that breakfast is a crucial matter indeed.
Q: What is your favorite kind of cake? (In “Thirteen Words” you list five - but it’s pretty clear you’re not a big fan of the lemon one.) Does a cake need to come in a box tied up with string to make it truly wonderful?
A: Ms. Kalman, my collaborator on 13 Words, is much more of a cake enthusiast than I am. My favorite cake is crab, one of the few cakes not made more wonderful by a box tied up with string.
Q: What was your dear Beatrice’s favorite iced cream flavor?
A: French vanilla, the best for ice cream floats.
Q: What is a bear?
A: Meet me in the woods with a bag of food and you’ll find out.
Q: If you were a lightbulb, what lightbulb would you be?
A: Decorative.
Q: What is your ideal soup temperature?
A: Hot in winter, cool in summer, like so many people I know.
Q: Would you rather have two left feet or two right feet?
A: You’re very kind to offer a gift to a stranger, but please keep those four feet to yourself.
Q: What are some series of unfortunate events in today’s world, in your opinion?
A: Genocide, irrational fear and people asking you to hold that thought so they might engage with a little screen they are holding.
Q: What is the worst piece of advice you have ever been given?
A: “Watch the entire season before you decide you don’t like it.”
