... with Apologies to Vanity Fair and Marcel Proust
This past fall the College of Humanities welcomed three new faculty members, who bring their talents to Asian American Studies, English, Gender and Women’s Studies, and the American Indian Studies Program. As they settled into their second semester at CSUN, we asked them to respond to a brief, modified Proust questionnaire, so named for the writer Marcel Proust, who answered the somewhat probing set of personal questions twice during his lifetime.
Many thanks to our faculty members, who so willingly shared with us their time, thought, wit, and honesty. Each answered the questions to which they most wanted to respond.
Iswari Pandey, Assistant Professor, English
Dr. Pandey earned his Ph.D. in English rhetoric and composition at the University of Louisville. Among other interests, he has published on how caste and class affect access to the study of English in South Asia.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Unlimited time to read and travel.
What is your greatest fear? That I may be misunderstood by the people who matter to me.
Which living person do you most admire? Paul Farmer.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Procrastination.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Hypocrisy.
What is your greatest extravagance? A day spent on sampling all my favorite foods and watching movies nonstop.
When and where were you happiest? Every time I have a favorite book in my hand or when I realize that someone found my actions helpful.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? To keep waiting for it to happen.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? A story!
What is your most treasured possession? A book that my grandmother gave me before her death.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? That one has to identify one!
Which talent would you most like to have? Singing.
What is your motto? Love and work.