Photo by Aaron Salcido.
Carina Chocano’s writing has appeared in Elle, The California Sunday, and The New York Times Magazine, where she is a contributing writer. She is also the author of the upcoming book You Play the Girl. Before moderating the Zócalo/UCLA panel “Has Political Correctness Really Killed Humor?”, she talked in the Zócalo green room about going to a church to worship art, her rather austere choice for her last meal, and the only thing she bids for on eBay.
Q: What’s hanging on your living room walls?
A: I have a very beautiful print from a friend, Rob Reynolds, of a radiant sun. And I have a bunch of pieces by a friend in San Antonio, who’s a really talented artist, named Katie Pell.
Q: Did you have any nicknames as a child?
A: I did, yes. Do I have to tell you?
Q: What’s your favorite day of the week?
A: I think it’s Thursday. Honestly, I’m a writer with a kid, and the weekends are not that fun, so I like days to myself. And there’s something about Thursday that’s nice.
Q: What item would you bid for on eBay?
A: The only things that I’ve bid for are shoes.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: Everything.
Q: What was the last live performance or event you saw?
A: I went to a cool thing on Sunday that was called Secret City, and it was like a church service where they worship art, and the theme was hair, so everything was hair-related.
Q: How much is too much to pay for a haircut?
A: $100. That’s not too much—that’s the limit.
Q: What would you eat for your last meal?
A: Maybe just capellini with parmesan. That’s boring.
Q: Where do you get your news?
A: New York Times, Washington Post, and Facebook.
Q: How do you procrastinate?
A: New York Times, Washington Post, and Facebook.
