I had the pleasure of meeting Catherine Adams at a J.C. Hallman reading hosted by my friend Karlyn. Not only is Catherine intelligent and interesting she has stunning taste. I know this because while we were talking she said, “I love Minnesota Reads.” And while those words are music to my ears, shortly after she uttered the words that make my heart race. “I’d love to review books for the site.” I want to jump up, clap my hands, and hug her, but instead I remained composed. “Cool,” I said.

As you can tell, I’m really excited to have Catherine on board. Not only is she an editor and a photographer, but she’s been blogging her way through the Paris Review Interviews. Plus, I think Catherine is going to bring a point of view and perspective that MN Reads doesn’t have yet. I mean, just look at the her answers to the six questions. If you’re anything like me, you’ve just been introduced to a few authors you’d never heard of before. And that, my friends, is what this site is all about.

What book(s) are you currently reading?
Marguerite Duras, The Lover; Colette, The Claudine Novels; Hayden Herrera, Frida : A Biography of Frida Kahlo; Sagan, Bonjour Tristesse

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
Sure, Heathcliff.

If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?
Rikki Ducornet. I’d take her to Frost’s.

What was your first favorite book?
Vasari, The Great Masters (a reprint of six monographs of Renaissance artists).

Let’s say Fahrenheit 451 comes to life, which book would you become in order to save it from annihilation?
Sandor Marai, Embers

What is one book you haven’t read but want to read before you die?
Proust’s cycle. Started last week–I’m four pages in. This will take years.