The mice at home decided to come out and play
We have had “Ask Peter”. We have had “Ask Kathleen (aka Ask the Wife)”
So now Ariel and Caroline are taking questions.
So this is Ask the Kids.
Fine print; If I (being Kathleen) think a question is inappropriate I will make it vanish. There are questions that might get a pass for various reasons including Non-disclosure agreements and other legal things that we have to abide by. Please be understanding if we don’t or can’t answer.
So there it is. What questions do you have for the children of Peter David
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Hi, Kathleen. Thanks for minding the website while Peter’s San Diegoning. Yes, I just made up that word. It’s what I do.
Anyway, this is mostly for Ariel, as Caroline is just barely starting her elementary education:
Is growing up with such a prolific writer for a dad kind of tough when it comes to schoolwork, specifically English subjects? It seems like he might be a little of a hard case when it comes to writing, reading (not so much arithmetic).
That’s it. I’m easy. 🙂
*Ariel* I tend to want to try harder in english because my dad is a writer. I generally am a good student in english. It has certainly made my vocabluary larger then my friends because of it and I always have an in-home english tutor. It is no different then the girl I know whos mom is a math teacher at our school. It is sometimes hard but the bonus is I’m taking speculative literature next year and I’ve met some of the reading list.
Hi Ariel and Caroline,
What are your favorite stories to read? I’m curious to see the literary tastes of literary families?
Best wishes,
Hotspur
CAROLINE’s Answer: I love the Midnight Unicorn. It is a great story. (that’s the current favorite. It changes for time to time)
*Ariel* I’m a book junkie. I read as many books as I can. I really like historical fiction and fantasy books at the moment, especially vampires. But I will read anything I can get my hand on, though I am terribly behind. I sometimes have trouble with older books though I am getting better and, I don’t like to be able to predict the ending of a book.
Howdy girls…have you ever read a series…like Harry Potter and wish your dad had written it.
*Ariel* Yeah I’d like it if my dad had written a big hit like Harry Potter. I’d like that money for my college fund.
What five things do you love most about your life right now?
CAROLINE’S Answer:
Unicorns
Daddy
Kitties
Mommy
Ariel
*Ariel* :
Only 5? In no Paticular Order.
My Family
My Friends
That Robbie is getting better
Peace
My Health
Out of the books written by your father that you’ve actually read, which is your favorite so far?
*Ariel* I’ve read the first Knightlife book and a few unpublished things. I also read alot of the comics. My favorite book would have to be Tigerheart of course though an unpublished one is in second. Tigerheart is amazing!!!
Ariel & Caroline. Thank you for agreeing to answer questions. I have seen from both of your parents’ blogs that the whole family will occasionally go conventions which sounds like a load of fun. My question for both of you is which of the conventions is your favorite to attend and what do you like about it.
Kathleen is welcome to express her opinion as well.
CAROLINE’s Answer: The hotel it has a pool. (I figured out from a longer conversation she is talking about Shoreleave and Farpoint because they were in the same hotel.)
*Ariel*: I honestly like most conventions and have made many friends at them but I really like Shoreleave and Farpoint because of my friends there and the awesome dance. I find DragonCon amazing and I love the wide variety of things to do. I actually go to panels there especially the YA. And the Dealers Room/ Exhibit Hall is amazing. Plus they have cool guests.
Just one question:
Have either of you seen “WALL-E”, and if so, what do you think of it?
Just one question:
Have either of you seen “WALL-E”, and if so, what do you think of it?
CAROLINE’S Answer: I liked it. Parts were very scary and I hid my eyes. The robots were funny.
*Ariel* : I saw “WALL-E” and i thought it was really good. I though the entire thing was pretty amazing, though the beginning on Earth was fascinating.
For Caroline,
What bedtime stories do you like the most, and who reads them to you, your mom or your dad?
TWL
CAROLINE’s Answer: Mommy and Daddy read to me. I like The Midnight Unicorn; Puff the Magic Dragon; Corduroy the Bear and Dora the Explorer.
Ariel: When did you become interested in bowling?
Also, do your friends at school know that your father is a professional writer, and if so, do they care? How many of your friends, for example, are comic book fans?
*Ariel* : FIRST QUESTION: I would have to say 6th or 7th grade though I didn’t get at all competitive till midway through 8th grade.
SECOND QUESTION: Most of my friends know, some don’t care. The long time friends remember when he used to come in for career projects. One of my guy friends is a Trekkie and a bunch are big Manga/ Anime nuts and the DND guys are in awe once in a while. The thing my friends think is cool is when I meet actors, they could care less about who my dad is.
I thiougth with PAD gone we would get an “ask wife” segment”, but I will toss this out anyway. I don’t have cable so I can only watch Dr. Who when My PBS station shows them. They just showed “The Girl(Lady?) In The Fireplace” How far behind am I. If I ask a friend to tape the SciFi shows how lost will I be? Will I know who/what is going on?
Kathleen here. Pretty lost. You would be a couple of companions behind at this point.
For both answerers: What would be your ideal costume for a sci-fi convention?
CAROLINE’s Answer: Spiderman! or a unicorn
*Ariel* : Well I can’t think of anything in the Sci Fi realm at the moment but I’d love to do either conservative Japanese Schoolgirl or Lolita. I’d wear the Japanese Schoolgirl outfit to school. Though it would be cool to dress up as Daisy from Mario.
What are some things (music, TV, movies, etc.) you like that your dad absolutely can’t stand, and vice-versa?
CAROLINE’s Answer ( as she bounces on the couch and sings the theme) Sponge Bob Squarepants!
She didn’t really understand the other part of question but she tends to sigh rather heavily when we put on baseball but she enjoys watching it when we are in the ballpark.
*Ariel* : I love Project Runway. Dad doesn’t like that show very much. I don’t like Stargate and the other shows he watches that aren’t Doctor Who or a spinoff of, on Friday nights on Sci-Fi.
Hmmm. For both of you. Name the one place that you have not been to that you would like to visit.
CAROLINE’S Answer: Alaska!
*Ariel*: Japan or England. I really want to go to both!!!!
Something I remember reading years ago — is Harlan Ellison still “Unckey Harl” to the David girls? Is there a time limit on how long girls can call Harlan Ellison a cutesy version of “Uncle Harlan” before he says, “OK, it’s ‘Mister Ellison’ now?”
ANSWER:Kathleen here. I can say that Shana who is still an adult calls him that. He has given his blessing to the nickname for the David Girls.
*Ariel* : UNCKEY HARLAN!!!! Harlan is AWESOME!!! Yes we all call him that. Kath said it all.
Dave,
This part I can help with. “The Girl in the Fireplace” is from the middle of the 2nd series, and the SciFi Channel is currently airing the last few episodes of the 4th. You’d recognize some people, but definitely not everyone. I’d hold off.
TWL
Thanks Tim, I really would rather see them in order.
Ariel,
What creative work do you like to do?
Has anything you’ve said ever wound up in one of your dad’s books? (That’s happened to me at least once — a writer friend of mine asked permission to use some insane thing I’d said as a line of dialogue — and may have happened another time with another author I’m acquainted with.)
And if I remember correctly, your middle name is Leela. What inspired it?
Caroline,
What do you most like to play on at playgrounds?
CAROLINE’S Answer: the Kids. They play with me.
*Ariel* : FIRST QUESTION: I do some drawing though not as much as I used to. Like Caroline I used to sell drawings, I’m a little old for it now. I used to do acting when I was younger yet again not so much any more. The most creative thing I do now is write poetry and I’m in chorus.
SECOND QUESTION: Certain things I say get into comic books, and sometimes novels. I think if I am rembering correctly I am Supergirls daughter and there was entire comic about it and most of the stuff she said were things I’d said or done. Except for the skateboarding I can’t skateboard, I can hardly ride a scooter and I have a scar from it.
THIRD QUESTION: Yes my middle name is Leela. I am named after the doctors companion in Doctor Who, who was my parents favorite. I have seen an episode with her in it if you’re wondering.
What’s the best practical joke/rib that you girls have managed to get over on PAD?
(Kathleen for Caroline: She is a hider and she is a good one. We were at Shoreleave. Caroline was maybe 2 1/2 at the time. Peter was in the room with her when she just vanished. Peter hadn’t heard a door open but he couldn’t find her. He was rushing around in a bit of a panic when he heard a snicker. He stopped and tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. Caroline had hid herself under a bench in such a way that a glance at the bench wasn’t going to reveal her. You had to get down and look UNDER the bench to see her)
*Ariel* : If anybodys seen his business card they know what I’m referring to. Dad and I went to a con a bunch of years ago and me being a little kid I wanted attention. I don’t remember exactly why but an artist at a nearby table I had noticed had been drawing dad and I leaned over and put bunny ears on him, dad got irratated and the artist put it in the picture. He he
Have you watched a lot of Star Trek, or is that mostly your Dad’s thing?
CAROLINE’S answer: Ah, No.
*Ariel* : *Laughs* I actually don’t watch that much Star Trek and have read non of the books. I’ve watched a few of the old episodes the movies when I was younger (I liked watching the part with the whales) and most of the ones Dad, Bob and Mike make fun of at Shoreleave. Though I did go to the Star Trek exhibit thing in Las Vegas last year, it was pretty cool.
I love my Dad, but he’s a nobody. So, what’s it like having a Dad who has brought so much enjoyment to so many people? Do you agree that your Dad is all kinds of awesome?
CAROLINE’S Answer (verbatim) I love my Daddy. He’s my Daddy!
*Ariel*: Like Caroline said, I think my Dad is awesome. He’s my dad. But every dad has the potential to be awesome, they just have to become awesome to their children. I wouldn’t think my dad was any less awesome if he were a nobody.
What’s been the most embarassing moment in having a famous father? And what do you think of the fans?
CAROLINE’S answer: They buy my pictures. I like them.
(kathleen here. So far she has not been embarrassed by her father so that one didn’t get a responce)
*Ariel* : Ok, I’ll anwser the most emabrassing first. I’ll give you two moments. The first was when my friend Danicah pulled me out of my chorus class to talk to the new orchestra teacher. Turns out the new orchestra teacher was a fan of Dads. The other was when I was at my friends house and I was looking at the bookshelf and saw an entire shelf of his books. I started shrieking and my friend bolts down the stairs worried her dog had tried to attack me. She realized what I was shrieking about and said. “Please don’t tell me you dad is that Peter David.” Her mom rushed home from work after she found out. I haven ‘t been there since, the friend thinks it’s better this way.
The second part the fans. I LOVE THE FANS. They’re pretty nice to me, they support my dad, and some of them are my friends. Besides a writer, or for that fact anybody artistic cannot thrive without support from the fans. So GO FANS!!!
This question is for Ariel. I’ve talked to your father on a couple of occasions regarding you going to college and bowling.
QUESTION: Is your interest in attending Deleware State strickly based on who the head coach is????
For those of you that are interested, the head coach of Deleware State is Former PWBA champion Kim Terrell.
*Ariel*- My interest in Deleware State is not only based on the fact that their head coach is Kim Terrell though that does interest me and is how I found out about the bowling team there. Deleware State is also a great college,and it has an education program that I would like to attend. The college also happens to be close enough to home that if I want to visit it is not a plane flight away, besides the fact that Kath and Dad (Peter) drive through Deleware when they go to many conventions I like so I could hitch a ride with them then. So in anwser to you question no, it is not strictly the reason. It’s like choosing a college based on a professor, you’d love to learn from them but it’s not the only reason to go to a college.
Thanks to all three of you for answering these questions.
FOR KATHLEEN: Do you two plan to have any more kids?
FOR ARIEL: You mentioned Delaware State has an education program that you favor, so I take it you want to be a teacher. Any idea of what subject or grade you’d like to teach?
FOR CAROLINE: What are your thoughts on mid-twentieth century Americian antiestablishmentarianism, and how it has affected modern day iconoclasm, specifically as compared and contrasted with iconoclasm in previous eras such as Europe in the 1500’s, the French Revolution, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960’s?
Just kidding.
Seriously, are you interested in any of the things your dad writes? I know he writes mostly for older people, but does he tells stories that he writes, or do you just read other stuff?
KATHLEEN’S Answer: No. For many reasons.
*Ariel* : Yeah, I’d like to be some kind of teacher. I like little kids so probably elementry school. I’ve worked with middle school kids and wouldn’t mind that but I would never teach at a high school. If I had to choose a subject it would be between English or History I know the most about those.
CAROLINE’S Answer: Spiderman!!
Elementary school, Ariel? You’re a brave, brave woman.
I’ve actually always found that interesting — the people who want to teach elementary school or younger say that they’d “never teach at a HS”, and those who teach high school (like me) can never picture themselves teaching anybody younger than about 12. (I’ve taught seventh grade, and that’s as young as I’m willing to go — I doubt I’d be very good at younger ages.)
Oh, and I love the phrase “and I’ve met some of the reading list.”
Caroline — have your mommy or daddy ever read you the Oz books? If so, what did you think of them? If not, you should ask them to. 🙂 I’ve been reading them to my little girl for almost a year now, and we’re having lots of fun with them!
TWL
CAROLINE’s Answer (first she ran and got her copy of the first OZ book and put it down next to me) Here it is Mommy!
For Caroline–when you’re read to, do you like the person reading to do the voices for the characters?
CAROLINE’S Answer: Yeah I do. Daddy does more voices than Mommy.
Ooh, good question, Sean. I’m interested to hear the answer to that one!
This has probably been asked over and over but do either of you have any desire to follow your parents footsteps and write for a living?
*Ariel* : I don’t think I’d want to write for a living. It’s just not something I’m interested in. I write my poetry but I wouldn’t make a living out of it.
CAROLINE’S Answer: I’m an artist. I want to help Daddy write comic books.
Have you ever gotten to meet the kids of other famous people? Have you ever compared notes with each other?
Here’s a fun one for Caroline:
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Oh c’mon!
That’s pretty much the same initial question that I asked her, just dressed up in more proletarian language!
🙂
I often used to get teased and insulted by my English teacher at school for reading Star Trek books and I wondered if Ariel in particular ever had to suffer anything similar, what with her father being a writer of “not proper fiction” as my old teacher called it!
*Personally, I couldn’t stand her, she was snobby and looked down on anything that wasn’t Shakespeare etc, she actually pulled a face when we had to study Of Mice And Men!! Gods only know what she would have made of Harry Potter! 😀 *
For Dave W:
In case you’re still reading, you should be able to rent Doctor Who from Blockbuster, Family Video, wherever.
Certainly the box sets are available from the online version of Blockbuster:
http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/282159
Enjoy!