David McCarthy is a professor of art history at Rhodes College and author of books including H.C. Westermann at War and American Artists Against War, 1935-2010. Before participating in the Zócalo/MOCA panel “Is Art Our Last Safe Space?” he sat in the Zócalo green room and talked Lolita, Tapeheads, and Captain Kangaroo.
If you could be any animal, what would you be?
I would be a Jack Russell terrier. Because that’s what I am, actually. It would be an easy fit. I wouldn’t even have to memorize the lines. I would know exactly what to do.
What food won’t you eat?
That’s a tough one because I kind of eat everything. I guess raw beets.
What’s your first memory?
Probably watching Captain Kangaroo. He was Philadelphia-based. I remember him as a kid. That’s my introduction to TV. Captain Kangaroo with Mr. Green Jeans, his sidekick.
Yes or no: Can an artist stop a war?
No.
How much is too much to pay for a haircut?
Considering I’m going bald, I’d say 30 bucks.
What keeps you up at night?
Boy, what doesn’t keep me up at night? Real estate keeps me up right now because we’re looking for a house.
What’s your favorite day of the week?
Monday. I like going to work.
What’s the last great book you read?
I just re-read Lolita in the last couple of months. I’m astonished how well it holds up, how funny it is, and how bitterly nasty at the same time. And I wish I could write as well as Nabokov writes.
What movie are you most likely to quote?
Probably Tapeheads.
When is it okay to lie?
When you’re in a rush.