Shirley Jahad has traveled an interesting path – starting with her road trip as a child from Houston to Saskatoon, when her family’s Corsair flipped over – to become an award-winning journalist for KPCC 89.3. Jahad sat down to answer a few questions before moderating a panel for Zócalo.

Q. What do you wake up to?
A. I’m a public radio geek, so I wake up to public radio.

Q. What is your favorite word?
A. So many words come to mind. I guess the first is love. Love and kiss would be great words to learn in every language.

Q. What comforts you?
A. Down pillows. Good friends. Intimate conversations between friends.

Q. What do you find beautiful?
A. The flowering trees in Southern California in February. The sound of the birds outside my window in the morning. The full moon rising in September in Pasadena.

Q. How would you describe yourself in five words or less?
A. Curious, striving, nomadic.

Q. If you could live in any other time, past, present or future, when would it be and why?
A. I’ve been hooked on that “John Adams” HBO series. It would be really interesting to see all these great minds coming together at the time of the founding of the country. If you ask me tomorrow I’ll pick a different time.

Q. When most creative?
A. Right before sunrise.

Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?
A. I like my profession. Journalist.

Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?
A. There’s so many. Sometimes fond childhood memories are routines, so the routine of my father picking us up from school, then we’d go pick up my mom. The whole routine of driving together, and the conversation we would have in the car.

Q. Who is your favorite Beatle and why?
A. Paul, for the staying power, I suppose.

Q. What is your most prized material possession?
A. My Selmer alto saxophone.

Q. What is your favorite season and why?
A. In Los Angeles I like February. I came from Chicago and in Chicago February is all shades of gray and in Los Angeles February is spring. The burst of color on the trees is unimaginable, it’s like candy.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead that you’ve love to have a drink with?
A. Maya Angelou.

*Photo by Aaron Salcido.