Melissa Roske author

Melissa Roske - author of Kat Greene Comes Clean

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Teacher’s Guide

Ask the Author: Leah Henderson

January 23, 2018 By Melissa Roske 2 Comments

The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing (aka nosy) questions. It the hot seat today, Leah Henderson, author of the contemporary MG, ONE SHADOW ON THE WALL (Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017).

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Stumbling upon something unforgettable and unexpected while traveling—it could be as simple as a captivating smile, someone’s laughter, a quaint market, a side street mosaic, or a crooked tree.

What is your greatest fear? Letting someone down, and never knowing that I have. (I cannot try and mend what I don’t know needs mending.)

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Doubt. I doubt myself more than is fair to.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Selfishness.

Which living person do you most admire? Oprah—she’s found ways to navigate this world on her own terms. How can you not applaud/admire that?

What is your greatest extravagance? Travel . . . my wanderlust is serious!

What is your current state of mind? Hopeful

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Tolerance. We have to do more than just tolerate, we need to strive for true understanding and empathy.

On what occasion do you lie? Sometimes someone just needs to hear “It will be all right,” and even though I don’t have a crystal ball, when it comes to that I will always pretend I do.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Absolutely! Definitely! Hot mess… 🙂

Besides writing, which talent would you most like to have? The ability to speak and dream in a number of languages. (Yes, this is a talent and a gift.)

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Gosh, when it comes to achievements I really just think about making it to the next step (big or small).

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? My dog. He’s having a blessed life full of hugs, friends, fancy treats, and adventures!

What is your most treasured possession? Memories. Possessions come and go, but memories made are what I value most of all.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Never having experiences.

What do you most value in your friends? Optimism, compassion, loyalty, and laughter.

Who are your favorite writers? Toni Morrison, Jacqueline Woodson, Ruta Sepetys, Rupi Kaur, Jan-Philipp Sendker, Carole Boston Weatherford and Christopher Paul Curtis, to name a few.

Who is your hero of fiction? Pippi Longstocking, for her sense of adventure; Sula, for her sass; Edmond Dantés, for his unwavering determination.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? This was a hard one, so I took some quizzes. 🙂 I got Ashoka the Great and Catherine the Great. The “Greats” in their titles seem weighty to live up to, but I’m feeling this description from my Ashoka pairing: “Your family is a source of strength and pride and you place great trust in your family members. You are open to new ideas and opportunities because you know it’ll make you a stronger person.” Now that sounds about right.

What is your motto? When you can’t find sunshine, be sunshine. Also: It’s better to look back on life and say: “I can’t believe I did that” than to look back and say, “I wish I did that.”

LEAH HENDERSON has always loved getting lost in stories. When she is not scribbling down her characters’ adventures, she is off on her own, exploring new spaces and places around the world. Her middle-grade novel, One Shadow on the Wall (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster), was sparked by one of those trips. Leah received her MFA at Spalding University and currently calls Washington D.C. home. Find Leah on her website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Filed Under: Ask the Author

Comments

  1. Pamela Courtney says

    January 25, 2018 at 3:10 am

    So, I think I wanna take this questionnaire. Love the answers Leah gave, What a great insight this gives me about an author whose writing I adore. Enjoyed getting to know her this unique way. Man I loved her answers!! And I love Carole Weatherford, Woodson, and Toni Morrison too. So glad I stopped by to read this post.

    Reply
    • Melissa Roske says

      January 28, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      Thanks for reading! The Proust questionnaire is so revealing, isn’t it?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Melissa Roske on Facebook Melissa Roske on Twitter Melissa Roske on Good Reads

Categories

  • Ask the Author
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015