Something About John Bellairs’s Favorites

Favor fav!

"John Bellairs's Favorites" is the title of a short list published in the Dec. 28, 1985, edition of the Haverhill Gazette. It’s not really an article but rather a series of prompts which Bellairs responded to with short sentences– likening the piece to a short autobiographical sketch. The prompts give the impression this piece might have been just one in an ongoing series of questions asked of local or regional celebrities, but I don’t know that for certain.

The first three items prompt Bellairs to provide his age (48), birthplace (Marshall, Michigan) and current residence (28 Hamilton Ave.) before revealing his favorite actor, actress, song, film, movie, music, book, sport, and hobby among other things - plus his favorite pet peeve. Bellairsia published the “article” once upon a time (and likely removed it during some maintenance) and I thought it would be interesting to review some of them and provide some comment or historical perspective.

• Name: John Bellairs
• Age: 48
• Birthplace: Marshall, Michigan
• Address: 28 Hamilton Ave.
• Occupation: Children's author
• Favorite restaurant: Locally, Friendly's on upper Main Street. Outside the area, I prefer Vin Wood's Eagle House in Roawley.
• Favorite food: Fried clams
• Favorite beverage: A good imported beer
• Favorite hobby: Studying architecture and collecting children's drawings
• Favorite sport: Baseball
• Favorite vacation: A trip to London. I've been there six times and continue to admire the churches, museums and old-fashioned pubs
• Favorite form of relaxation: Taking long walks around Haverhill and listening to classical music.
• Favorite entertainment: Watching old movies on my VCR
• Favorite entertainer: Luciano Pavarotti
• Favorite actress: Joan Collins
• Favorite actor: Alec Guinness
• Favorite song: "La donna e mobile" from the opera "Rigoletto."
• Favorite film: The Lady Killers with Alec Guinness
• Favorite magazine: Newsweek
• Favorite music: Classical
• Favorite spot in greater Haverhill: Bradford Common with the First Church of Christ and the interesting homes surrounding it
• Favorite pet: Cat
• Favorite car: Honda Civic
• Favorite book: "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens. It's being serialized now on Masterpiece Theater.
• Favorite quote: "Depend upon it, sir. When a man's to be hanged in half an hour, he concentrates his mind wonderfully." -- Samuel Johnson
• Proudest accomplishment: Writing nine children's books which have done well on the open market. The latest is The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost, published in November.
• Pet peeve: Massachusetts drivers. They leap at you from all directions.
• Favorite TV show: The A Team."
• Best thing about Haverhill: Its many hills.