Who am I?
Esi Sogah, Editorial Assistant to the Stars (otherwise known as Lucia and Erika)
Avon Romance

What is your favorite color?
Pink. This may seem trivial, but this is one of the most important things about me. Learn it, love it.

And now for Proust:

Who are your favorite characters in history?
Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I
--My best friend and I have been in a bitter feud since the tenth grade because she loves the traitor Mary, Queen of Scots. I can’t imagine how. Or why. But she does. Oh well; nobody’s perfect.

Napoleon
--He’s what I like to call my historical boyfriend. I can’t really explain why. It may be because all the Regencies I read growing up have the heroes coming back victorious from Waterloo, and I ended up feeling bad for the poor (little) guy. Or it might be because of that rockin’ hat.

Sojourner Truth
--I have nothing witty to say about her. But if someone’s crafty enough to make me a t-shirt that says “And ain’t I a woman?”, I’d love you forever.

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities, hands down.

I’m also a big fan of Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables. (Although, unlike some people, I also enjoy Johnathan Crombie, the miniseries Gilbert.)

Oh, and the Lorax. He speaks for the trees.

Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Turtle Wexler from The Westing Game—if you haven’t read this, stop reading this post, go to the bookstore, and read it immediately. I’ll wait.

And Madame Defarge from A Tale of Two Cities—no, she’s not the heroine of the piece, but my mother called me Madame Defarge for most of my childhood, so this character holds a special place in my heart. My mother, on the other hand…

Who would you have liked to be?
A Radio City Music Hall Rockette. Can’t you tell? That may not be me in the picture, but it will be someday!


I think it’s time to tell you a little secret love of mine. Obviously, I read a ton; reading is great; everyone should read more. But, what you may not know until you spend some time with me (or, you know, read this post) is that I, at heart,…am a dancer.

I love dance. Any kind, at all times. I can’t get enough. This leads to amazing things, like dancing all through school, having terrific mentors, and making really great friends. I’ve already seen two ballets this season, American Ballet’s All-Star Stravinsky and Cinderella (starring the fabulously talented Gillian Murphy).

It also leads to less-attractive attributes. Like my desire to see every dance movie ever made. Certainly the classics: Fred and Ginger, A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing. But I will watch any movie with dance, about dance, or tangentially related to dance (Bring It On, anyone?).

The best example I can think of to really explain this obsession is this: Center Stage. I saw it eight times in the movie theater, over the course of two months. It was once on HBO three times in one day and I watched it every single time. I can recite it verbatim. I like to think I can do the dances. I’m wrong, but I like to think so. But at least Center Stage is good. I’ve also watched Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (underrated if you ask me) and Honey…not good, but again, dancing!

So now you know my little secret. What about you? What cultural fix (other than reading) can’t you get enough of? The opera? Drag racing? Reality TV? Spill—the good, the bad, and the so bad it’s good.