Liana Liu

However, once the Q & A portion got started, I became miserable. How desperately I wanted to know what these question-asking people looked like. What sort of person asks a question about the writer's utensil of choice? Or the writer's underwear preferences? (Note: these questions may or may not have been those actually asked; my memory is a bit holey--I mostly remember my sorrow over not being able to see anything).

Fortunately, post-event I was able to do some inappropriate interrogating of my own. My victim: Maryhope, lovely graduate student in the psychology department.

What's that you're reading?
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindovist.

How do you like it?
I love it. I saw the film so I wanted to read the book. So far it's very good.

Good! Now, let's get down to business. Would you ever not date someone based on the books they liked?
Yes.

What are some deal-breakers?
The Da Vinci Code, anything by O'Reilly. I should probably stop. This is not a good way to make friends.

Right, right. Let's just say it's good that anyone reads anything. (1)
Sure!


But really now, what would you do if you were on a date with a total studmuffin and he invited you back to his house to "listen to records," and when you got there you found a bookshelf full of Dan Brown and Bill O'Reilly books?
That kind of happened to me once! I went on this date with this really attractive millionaire.

Tell me! How did you meet him? (2)
He was a friend of a friend who wanted to take me out. Then I asked him what the last book he read was and he said he didn't read any books. So I asked him what the last movie he saw was and he said his favorite movies were "Jackass" and "The Thomas Crowne Affair" because Thomas Crowne reminded him of himself. (3) That's when I realized that even millions weren't worth it. (4)

That's beautiful, thank you.

Editor's notes:
(1) Wrong.

(2) Did I ask this question because I am interested in knowing where one might meet a millionaire? Yes, yes I did.

(3) If someone asked me what famous character reminded me of myself, I would say Garfield, the cartoon cat. Actually, I have said this.

(4) Like, how many millions? I wish I had thought to ask . . .