Deborah Reber Revealed
About Deborah Reber
-
What is your birthdate?:10/28
-
Previous occupations:video producer for CARE and UNICEF, special projects manager for Nickelodeon (Blue's Clues), and director of development for Cartoon Network
-
Favorite job:My current job of writing and creating media for teens!
-
High school and/or college:I went to Oley Valley High School in Pennsylvania (an hour outside of Philadelphia), and to Penn State for undergrad and The New School for Social Research in NYC for graduate school.
-
Name of your favorite composer or music artist?:Bob Dylan
-
Favorite movie:Hannah and her Sisters
-
Favorite television show:Curb Your Enthusiasm
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. A continuous effort to be in the moment
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. Everything happens for a reason
- Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
- A. Eating steak frites at an outdoor cafe in the south of France with my husband, laying down for a nap without worrying about what time I have to wake up, cuddling under the blankets with my four-year-old son while reading too many books to count, going on a mom/dog hike with Baxter, and opening up a large, fresh bag of strawberry Twizzlers and taking that first bite.
- Q. What’s your greatest fear?
- A. My knees giving out so I won't be able to run anymore.
- Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
- A. In a villa in the foothills of Nice, France.
- Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
- A. Laura Ingalls
- Q. Which living person do you most admire?
- A. Oprah Winfrey
- Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
- A. Come on now, sweetie-petey, as far as you know, ginormous, how YOU doing?
- Q. What do you regret most?
- A. Not believing in myself when I was younger.
- Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
- A. To tapdance like Savion Glover.
- Q. What is your greatest achievement?
- A. Finishing my first marathon (New York, 1996)
- Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
- A. Placing too high expectations on others
- Q. What’s your best quality?
- A. My ability to be positive and willingness to learn.
- Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
- A. An Olympic athlete (who wins a gold medal)
- Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
- A. My openness
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
- A. Lucy Honeychurch from E.M. Forster's A Room with a View
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
- A. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind
- Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
- A. Anne Frank. I'd tell her that her diary and the story of her too-short life has inspired millions of people around the world to be better human beings.
- Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
- A. Two-faced people
- Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
- A. Dreaming up creative projects
- Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
- A. (Do I have to pick only one?) Foreign affairs journalist like CNN's Chrstiane Amorpour
- Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
- A. Honesty, compassion, and integrity
- Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
- A. Blue crabs steamed with Old Bay
- Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
- A. 1. Don't Think Twice by Bob Dylan, 2. Summer Highland Falls by Billy Joel, 3. I Love N.Y.E. by Badly Drawn Boy, 4. Comfortably Numb (the live version) by Pink Floyd, 5. Seasons of Love from RENT
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. Kurt Vonnegut, Nick Hornby, Michael Cunningham, Tom Perrotta, John Krakauer, Ned Vizzini, Deb Caletti, Ellen Hopkins, Malcolm Gladwell, Philip Gourevitch, Roald Dahl, Tom Robbins, Judy Blume, Chip Kidd, Patricia McCormick, Shel Silverstein
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A. The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein), Bluebeard (Kurt Vonnegut), The Hours (Michael Cunningham), About a Boy (Nick Hornby), Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (Judy Blume)
- Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
- A. Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger
- Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
- A. Always be open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism
- Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
- A. My readers often tell me that they feel like I truly understand what they're going through and how they're feeling (which makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and like I must be doing something right!)
- Q. How did you come to write Chill?
- A. The idea for this book came to me from a fantastic editor at Simon Pulse who wanted to publish a book that would address the high stress levels of today's teens. When she approached me about the idea, I was thrilled to take the project on. I knew the potential to help teens find balance in their complicated and stressful lives was high, and feel so lucky that I got to be the one to write it!
