Sara S. “Sue” Hodson is the curator of literary manuscripts for The Huntington Library, overseeing all British and American literary manuscripts, from the Renaissance to the present. These collections include Christopher Isherwood’s papers. Before taking the stage to talk about Isherwood’s life and work in Los Angeles, Hodson took our In The Green Room Q&A.
Q. What surprises you most about your life right now?
A. The wonderful collections I’m working with at the Huntington Library, beginning with Christopher Isherwood and going right along to Jack London and Charles Bukowski and Hilary Mantel. I have to be one of the luckiest people in the world.
Q. What is the last habit you tried to kick?
A. Television.
Q. If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?
A. England.
Q. Who was your childhood hero?
A. Louisa May Alcott.
Q. What do you consider to be the greatest simple pleasure?
A. Reading.
Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?
A. Doing the grocery shopping and wishing I were home reading.
Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?
A. Water ski.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional character?
A. One of my favorites is actually George from A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood, because he’s such a poignant character and so beautifully written.
Q. What is your favorite cocktail?
A. Cosmopolitan.
Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?
A. I’m doing what I love right now. I think I’d do this again.
Q. What is your most prized material possession?
A. A corrected typescript of Tom Stoppard’s play “Arcadia,” which was a gift from him to me.
Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for dinner?
A. Henry James.
To read more about Hodson’s panel, click here.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.