What is the best thing that I love about my work? I’m a novelist; solitude and autonomy
2. What is my idea of perfect happiness? The click when my words fit together the right way
3. What is my greatest fear? Helplessness amid chaos
4. What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? My thirst for revenge
5. Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? My agent Jen Gates, my editor Emily Griffin, Jennifer Egan, Philip Roth, Colson Whitehead, Mona Simpson, Toni Morrison, so many others
6. What is my greatest extravagance? Gym memberships
7. On what occasion would I lie? See question 4
8. What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The waiting
9. When and where was I the happiest, in my work? 1215-3:15 pm, Tuesday, September 26, 2017. Harper Fiction Luncheon, Union Square Cafe, 101 east 19th street, NYC
10. If I could, what would I change about myself? Oh God, my ass
11. What is my greatest achievement in work? My forthcoming novel, THIS COULD HURT, a 7-year odyssey, an artistic departure, and the culmination of two concurrent careers—novel-writing and management consulting
12. Where would I most like to live? In a glass house on the water
13. What is my most treasured possession? a deck of playing cards that my kids created one long-ago Mother’s Day called “52 Reasons We Love You”
14. What is my most marked characteristic? Tenacity
15. What is my most inspirational location, in my city? the Financial District
16. What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? In my office, at my desk, hunched over my computer as I work
17. What books influenced my life and how?
- SONG OF SOLOMON: the first time I was moved by great art as a young adult
- ANYWHERE BUT HERE: saw my own preoccupations on the page; made me determined to meet Mona Simpson who became my MFA thesis advisor, which became HUNGER POINT, my first published novel
- THEN WE CAME TO THE END, UP IN THE AIR: revealed a way to write about corporate life
- A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD: showed me anything was possible
- AMERICAN PASTORAL: showed me how to write about writing
- MAY WE BE FORGIVEN, STATION ELEVEN, A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING: made me want to write better
- THE THINGS THEY CARRIED: sheer brilliance
- RANDOM FAMILY, PATRIMONY, too many others to recount here
18. Who are my favorite writers?
Toni Morrison, Jennifer Egan, Philip Roth, Zadie Smith, Mona Simpson, Jonathan Franzen, Colson Whitehead, Tana French; Dave Eggers, Nathan Englander, again, too many to recount
19. You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? To be honest, I prefer quiet
20. Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Katniss Everdeen
21. Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My squad (see questions 25)
22. Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
23. What role plays art in my life and work? Art is everything
24. Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My husband Keith Dawson
25. Whom would I like to work with in 2018?
My squad: Jen Gates (Aevitas Literary), Emily Griffin and Tracy Locke (Harper), Nicole Dewey (ShreveWilliams PR)
26. Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2018? See question 18
27. What project, in 2018, am I looking forward to work on? My fifth novel, a re-imagined BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES
28. Where can you see me or my work in 2018? On tour for THIS COULD HURT, www.jillianmedoff.com
29. What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? love of work transcends time
30. Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Ann Bauer
31. How can you contact me?
The Heroine's Journey 