Monday, March 09, 2009

Women's Month Interviews: Mildred Perkins

She's the Demon Den Mom and Mater Lachrymarum, fearless leader of the Horror in Film and Literature list that I've been part of since 1994. She's also one of my most trusted beta-readers (but she wouldn't let me put up a picture of her, so we have the lovely Barbara Steele instead for reasons Mildred knows...).

How do we know each other?
Long-time e-acquaintances who met on the Horror in Film and Literature E-mail Discussion List and became closer friends in off-list correspondence and f2f vacation visits.

How would you describe yourself?

I am someone who is always surprised at how much other people like me. I am split very evenly on the Myers-Briggs test, and am both an extrovert and introvert, and I like a lot of variety in my life as well as well worn routine. So I suppose you could say I'm like Indiana weather: if you don't like what's here now stick around 10 minutes and it will change. One day you'll see me at work being super efficient and incredibly multitasking in a busy office, the next day I'll be at a sporting event or museum, and the day after that lounging at home watching a movie -- and I couldn't tell you which is my favorite activity.

In what part of the world are you located?

South Central Indiana, and I really like it here.

Where can we find you on the web?
Only one blog, and very little new content.

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
That I'm not as nice as I seem, and only the love of a good woman has made me even partially civilized.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
They don't understand the immediate, physical danger they're in if I'm crying.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Sports: I've played at a national level in three entirely different sports. Education: I'm the most educated person in the history of my family. Love: Going on thirty years -- how often does one really find their life partner?

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
To finish a freakin writing project!

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Gosh, there've been so many. Okay, here's a good one: A couple of years ago one of my faculty dragged her 14 year old son "into" my office and asked if I would hold onto him while she injected him with his epi pin. She told me later she never doubted I'd handle the situation well.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
I tell everyone who will listen, though a lot of them roll their eyes because they've just heard me tell someone else.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Drinking beer and watching one of my favorite movies.

What makes you laugh?

Humor that isn't mean or gross. Though that enormous butt crack we were exposed to last night was pretty doggone funny.

What makes you cry?
Anger. And proofs that things aren't as bad as I imagine, like seeing someone do something really nice for someone.

What do you love?
Beer. Routine. Vacations. Movies. Summer. Life.

What do you loathe?
People who do mean things, especially if they sneer and justify it.

What's sexy?
Feminine women, especially if they're wearing men's clothing. Okay, nearly all kinds of women are sexy, but that's my favorite.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
My dad told me once that young people don't appreciate older people, especially their parents, and that they were denying themselves valuable knowledge and friendship. So when I hit teenage years I didn't go through the typical, "Anyone who's not young is a moron." stage and I got to spend more time "with" my dad, who ended up dying kinda young.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Amelia Earhart when I was young. I read every book about her in the public library. Twice. About that time I was also hooked on Annie Oakley, who gave me about the same message they've given millions of girls over the decades. And my fourth grade teacher, whose name I'm now blanking on because that was more than forty years ago. She instilled a love of studying history that I'm still experiencing.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Pay off my debts, buy out my brother's part of the house and fix it up right, quit my job and see if I really could write if I didn't have to work for a living, sponsor some artistic endeavors.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are a wonderful woman and I'm grateful to have you as a friend!

5 comments:

Chuckie58 said...

My eyes! My eyes!

Interesting picture.... ;-)

Todd Mason said...

I think Mildred refers to the Blognomicon when she refers to the thin website, but perhaps not. But people can read Perkins among the rest of us online in the Horror list archives:

https://listserv.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/wa-iub.exe?A0=horror&D=0&H=0&O=D&T=0

Blognomicon is at
http://mypage.iu.edu/~mlperkin/bloginomicon.html

Now I have to ask her which three sports.

C. Margery Kempe said...

Hee hee -- well, if you had let me put up one of the lovely photos from Susan's last July...

Actually, there's another blog (shhh!) but yeah, the Blognomicon needs an updating, too.

Chuckie58 said...

I haven't even looked at the Bloginomicon for well over a year. Yeah, I really suck. Mostly, though, they changed the system here at IU and the site is a lot harder to access.

I've played softball nationally, bowling at the nationals and riflery in high school, plus was on my college rugby team. I also earned belts in tae kwon do and judo and have played at least in an organized system in volleyball, basketball and racquetball. Ironically, my worst sport - don't forget I live in Indiana - is basketball. *laugh* I was essentially no more than a warm body no one would dare pass to.

C. Margery Kempe said...

We should just move the Blognomicon to a site like Blogger or Wordpress and have a team to post and re-post things.

Badminton! I love badminton and haven't played in ages. Usually we only play croquet because it's easier to drink while playing, important in summer weather.