Thank you to Writer Side of Life for nominating me for this award (ages ago). If you haven’t yet checked out Kim’s blog, please do. There you’ll find engaging posts about books and the writing life, inspirational interviews with New Zealand authors, lessons learned from “dragging” her kids to France for a research excursion–and much more.

So, as I said, I am tardy, actually more than tardy, to my own award presentation. Imagine one of those big show venues, with all the glitz, glamor, and champagne–after it’s stripped down. The place echos with emptiness, and next up for the venue is, I don’t know, the opposite of glamor, maybe a taxidermy show.

Welcome, folks, to my stuffed dead things award presentation. (See what tardiness gets you?)

Award rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.

2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.

3. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.

4. Notify the nominees about it by commenting on one of their blog posts.

5. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or your blog site.

My answers:

What is your favourite place in the world? (“Favourite” spelling Kim’s)

I have extolled many of the wonders of my home city of Cleveland, Ohio, here on the blog. For those who don’t know, Cleveland has long been the butt of jokes, and while it might have lost a little of its sheen from its Gilded Age, industry-fed glory, C-town today is where you want to go for sports, arts, outdoors, and popular culture when you’re in the Midwest. List of major attractions here. From the home of the Cleveland Browns (who won yesterday!) to one of  the premiere art museums in the U.S.; and from the Metroparks system to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, there’s no place I’d rather be. And…Paris is also nice.

What do you want people to get out of your blog?

I hope my blog helps people come to know and appreciate the literature–poetry, fiction, memoir, and more–coming out of the U.S. Rust Belt, generally, and Ohio specifically.

Cat person or dog person?

Cat person; however, if my boys have their way, I may be switching sides one of these days.

Who is your best author?

At this very moment, I’m going to say Alice McDermott, because she is local to me here in Maryland and I’ve never run into her in the grocery store or anywhere else and I’m putting this out into the ether in the hopes that our paths may one day cross (so I can hide nervously in the canned tuna aisle.) I’ve read most of her fiction but her latest, The Ninth Hour, was just a revelation. Also, I admire her for writing about Catholics–and her own native stomping grounds of New York–no matter the (er) weather.

What is your favourite comfort food?

My mom’s split pea soup with ham, or any of her soups really, which are like love in a bowl.

As a child, what did you dream of doing for a living?

The short answer: ballet dancer. The long answer–replete with bunhead-and-tutu pics–can be found in this interview conducted by the lovely Jennifer over at Unfold and Begin. There were also moments when I thought it’d be nice to be an architect, an ice cream scooper, or one who gets to ride up to the power lines in a bucket.

Most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

Dancing at a club in college in stilettos comes to mind (bloodied toes). Ballet (more of the same). Bearing twin boys who will in 6 short years be learning to drive at the same time? How’s that?

Would you trust a self-driving car?

Sure. I live dangerously, as you can see from my answer above.

What’s the best thing about your own country?

Self-serving answer: the Rust Belt.

Which three favorite people would you invite for dinner?

Ohio native Toni Morrison and the aforementioned Alice McDermott for coffee and a chat, and Freddie Mercury for the after-party.

What is your favourite quote?

Do. Or do not. There is no try. –Yoda.

Please find me and much more Rust Belt reading and writing goodness here at the blog and also on Facebook and on Twitter. (You, yes you, could be my 66th follower!)

Nominations:

• Cherie at From Michigan to Germany
• The World’s Common Tater
• Not Enough Middle Fingers
• You Can Always Start Now
• An Entertaining Mess
• My Dear Kitchen in Helsinki
• A Prayer Like Gravity
• John Reiber
• Stacy from Quirky, Confused, and Curvy
• Myricopia
• Midwest Bliss

My questions for my nominees (feel free to play fast and loose with these):

1. If you could live in a book setting, where would that be?
2. The best kept secret about your town or city?
3. What do you hope 2019 holds for your blog?
4. Are you a blogger who writes or a writer who blogs?
5. Your favorite singer/songwriter or band?
6. Cake or pie?
7. Favorite blogging or writing advice?
8. One thing you want your blog followers to know about you?
9. Which is better–a lotta likes or a few comments?
10. Your favorite blog post of yours? Go ahead, brag it out!
11. Your favorite image on your blog–either yours, or credit someone else?