I love quizzes and question lists, and this one Septicemia did had some unusual questions that caught my interest. I just had to do it.

What’s your favorite book?

Oh my, how can I pick just one? I’m sure I’m not the only lit geek thinks of her life in terms of “book phases,” but that’s much too much for a Q&A. Instead I’ll only cheat a little by picking two categories. My favorite fiction is probably Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong, and my favorite non-fiction is probably The Other Side of Virtue by Brendan Myers. The first is a horror/black comedy I especially enjoyed and the second is basically a pagan ethics that really turned me on to druidry and ancient Greek religion and philosophy.

Would you rather know the date of your death or the cause of your death?

I’d rather know the date because I like to plan ahead.

If someone you loved committed a gruesome murder, would you help them cover it up?

I want to add about a million qualifiers because I’m afraid of sounding like a psychopath and I’m really not one at all, but the short answer is yes. I probably would, and I’d probably do a really good job of it.

Do you ever see figures in your peripheral vision?

I’m not sure they fully qualify as figures, but I’m always seeing things out of the corner of my eye.

What mythical creature would improve the world most if it existed?

If I take “improve the world” as literally making the planet and/or human life better, I think land wights or ancestral spirits could be super helpful. I’m really not sure they exist in a literal sense, but I try to honor them in my religious practice anyway.

Second place would be mermaids–I think developed underwater civilization would be super cool.

Would you ever stay the night in an abandoned house everyone says is haunted?

Yeah, sure. I have no particular plans but if friends were doing it I would come along.

What are your three favorite movies?

It’s hard to pick just three, but I’m going with Shaun of the Dead, The Station Agent, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

What are you superstitious about?

I can’t think of anything I’m really superstitious about.

In your opinion, what is the most brutal way to die?

Do you know what an anchoress is? Have you heard of Buddhist living mummies? That kind of isolation and starvation dragged out over years sounds like a living nightmare to me.

What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?

Made by humans–the Taj Mahal. I’m in awe of the intricate carving and inlay.

Made by nature–it’s hard to pick just one, but I really love Utah’s red rock canyons.

What is the most disturbing song you’ve ever heard?

I’m much more likely to be upset by the way people misunderstand songs than by the songs themselves. For example, it creeps me out when people use the Police’s stalker song “Every Breath You Take” at their weddings. And I was slightly disturbed that my oldest kid’s kindergarten retrospective video was set to Fun’s “We are Young.” It’s like people don’t even notice the lyrics to things. Just today, my kids’ conservative, anti-gay elementary school dance festival used the Village People’s “YMCA” because no one bothered to find out it’s about gay men cruising for hook-ups. That last one didn’t disturb me, though. It was pretty funny, actually.

When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?

I read. And Drink. And if things get really bad I’ll binge watch old favorite TV shows like Buffy or Dexter and just feel feelings.

How long do you think you would last in a horror movie?

In a regular horror movie I’d be the annoying know-it-all who dies halfway through the movie. In a post-apocalyptic horror movie my kids would become my bodyguards and I would survive to become the leader of a safe haven. My kids are super good at fighting but have no idea how to build a fortified compound.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Oh man, this is even harder than picking a favorite book. I’d love to visit Italy, I’d love to explore Asia more, I’d love to see the Northern Lights, I’d love to visit Turkey and Morocco . . . Top of the list, I’d take my family to India.

Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or an abandoned building.

A bear. Or a homicidal maniac.

What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?

When I was little people would tell stories about ouija boards that freaked me right the hell out. I can’t remember many details, but they were always about either being harassed by malevolent spirits or possessed by ghosts or demons.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Probably coffee ice cream, especially if it’s got toffee or chocolate chips.

If you came back as a ghost, whose life would you make a living hell?

Nobody’s I guess. I would probably either mope around the graveyard or try to help out my family in some way.

What’s the one food you could never bring yourself to eat?

Aside from my actual food allergies, there’s not much I wouldn’t at least try. Hakarl sounds pretty hard to choke down. But casu marzu would probably be the worst. I don’t think I could eat that.

Is there any horror movie you refuse to watch because the commercials scared you too much?

No, not that I can think of. There are a lot I haven’t watched, but it’s more a lack of time or interest than fear. Like I said before, I grew up terrified I would be possessed by a ouija board. Now that I’ve made it through that, not much scares me anymore.