What is your idea of perfect happpiness ?
Healthy, happy children. A wonderful, loving partner with whom to share me life.

What is your greatest fear ?
Losing another child. (I lost one of my sons to suicide when he was 19).


Which living person do you most admire ?
My agent Mort Janklow, Sidney Poitier, and Barbara Walters.

What is the trait you most déplore in yourself ?
Not always standing up for myself enough.

What is your favorite journey ?
To either of my two homes (in Paris and San Franciso).
On a boat with my children every summer.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue ?
Beauty.

On what occasion do you lie ?
Only in grat fear (physically, or high emotional danger) or not to hurt others.

What do you dislike most about your appearance ?
My legs (I almost always wear pants/trousers).

Which living person do you most despise ?
Bernie Madoff -he ruined so many lives.

Which words or phrases do you most everuse ?
The F-word.

What is your greatest regret ?
Having been married more than once: the mistakes I made in my "romantic" life.

What or who is the greatest love of your life ?
Ahhh... best left unsaitd. And my children.

When and where were you happiest ?
The first 10 years of my marriage, xhen my children were small.

What is your favorite occupation ?
Writing.

If you could change one thing about ourself, what would it be ?
I wish I were braver, although I try. I work too hard and don't play enough.
 Too much work ethic, not enought "fun".

What is your most marked characteristic ?
According to my children : loyalty, kindness, nurturer, humor.

What do you most value in your friends ?
Loyalty, kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, reliability.

Who are your favorite writers ?
Joel Osteen (inspirational minister).

Who are your heroes in real life ?
Saint Edith Stein : feminist and political activist in the 1930s, Jewish, became a Carmelite nun, assisted others, died in Auschwitz, and was canonized. Alex Haley, author of Roots, my friend and mentor.

What is it that you most dislike ?
Dishonesty, meanness. Vegetables.

How would you like to die ?
Peacefully, in good physical health, sounf of mind, still active, at a great age, with my children around me.

What is your motto ?
"I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly goof at heart" - Anne Frank.
"Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living" - Albert Einstein
"Life is so much friendlier with two", Winnie the Pooh
"Why not ?"