FROM WHERE I SIT
Bill Van Erp and the Proust Questionnaire
If there is anyone in our business who doesn’t adore Bill Van Erp, I don’t want to know them. I don’t even think that Art Gensler himself would mind if I thought of Bill as part of the bedrock on which Gensler, the institution, rests. Of course, knowing Bill, if I say ‘Bedrock’ he will immediately think I’m making a sly reference to “The Flintstones”
As one of the fools that he has suffered gladly, it was a thrill that he consented to answer the Proust Questionnaire for us. You’ve read how the glitterati have answered this in the back of ‘Vanity Fair’, now let’s see how one of our legends responds:
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
It's a crisp morning by a lake and I'm waking up in a tent ...
What is your greatest fear?
That I will become a cranky old man.
What historical figure do you most identify with?
Winston Churchill: He was belittled by everyone who thought they were cleverer than he was, but he remained true to his ideals (not all of them noble) throughout his long and turbulent career, and then wrote the history of those events to make sure everyone knew how smart he was.
Which living person do you most admire?
Neil Young. In a world obsessed with newness he still matters.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience, not knowing when to just shut up and listen.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Not knowing when to shut up.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Guitars, audio equipment and concert tickets
What is your favorite journey?
Fortunately it's part of my daily commute. Every day I ride my bicycle along the Embarcadero from the train station to the office.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Book smarts
On what occasion do you lie?
When it does no harm.
What do you dislike about your appearance?
There is too much of me.
Which living person do you most despise?
George Bush/Karl Rove
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
'Here's the deal ...’ also 'Huh??' and 'That reminds about the time I saw the Grateful Dead back in ...'
What is your greatest regret?
All those lost friendships.
What or who is the greatest love in your life?
Trisha of course and (in birth order) Brianna, Erin and Lissi
When and where were you the happiest?
Childhood days during the early 60's in the still-rural Santa Clara Valley.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I was musical.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting up and going to work every day.
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
An orca or a polar bear.
What is your most treasured possession?
My memories
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being sad/depressed/anxious around happily satisfied people. As Homer says, "It's like the cowboy suit on the monkey.'
Where would you like to live?
By a body of water in an interesting temperate climate with no bugs.
What is your favorite occupation?
Quality Control Tech at either the Gibson or the Fender guitar factory.
What is your most marked characteristic?
An irrational optimism about what motivates people.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
True consideration for others.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Equanimity
What do you most value in your friends?
I enjoy my best friends because they are exceptional as people, and because I feel smart and happy when we spend time together.
Who are your favorite writers?
Tolstoy, Dickens, Eric Blair
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Frodo Baggins and David Copperfield
What is it that you most dislike?
People with inflated opinions of themselves.
How would you like to die?
With my boots on.
What is your motto?
Don't look for logic when it's not there.
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