Q. What is your motto or maxim?

A. Look for humor, find life.

Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?

A. Without question, perfect happiness includes a steady diet of humor. I am pathologically addicted to the hearty laugh, and spend much of my life in pursuit of it. Probably, the midst of a genuine, helpless fit of laughter is the point of emotional nirvana for me. On a broader level, I have found my periods of deepest satisfaction were when my kids were younger, I was totally consumed in taking care of them every day, and my writing life was going really well too. That feeling of having a strong sense of purpose every day, feeling that purpose is a mighty one (thank you, George Bernard Shaw), and feeling that you are doing a pretty good job of it all, that state is pretty hard to top. These days, my kids are at the point of not really needing me as much as I would like them to. That has, frankly been a tough adjustment for me. But adaptation is probably life's most useful skill.

Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?

A. Monstrously unfair question. Answer would change daily. Right now: Jessica by the Allman Brothers; One Week by Barenaked Ladies; No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen; Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez; Promised Land by Chuck Berry

Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?

A. A dolphin. Is there any creature on earth that seems to be enjoying itself more than the dolphin?

Q. Which living person do you most admire?

A. Muhammad Ali