Excerpt: 'Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire'

DAVID BOWIE

What is the quality you most like in a man?

The ability to return books.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

The ability to burp on command.

RAY CHARLES

What is your most treasured possession?

My hands. They guide everywhere I go, and they allow me to play the piano and other instruments, which has been my lifeline since an early age.

NORA EPHRON

What is your greatest fear?

A dental emergency in a Third World country.

FRAN LEBOWITZ

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Sloth.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Industry.

BETTE MIDLER

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

The wind.

ARNOLD SCHWARENEGGER

What is your greatest extravagance?

I am a major shoe queen.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

"Maria, I said I'm sorry" and "Yes, dear."

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