I am a devote Vanity Fair reader. My favorite feature in the magazine is the Proust Questionnaire put to a variety of celebrities. http://pagesperso-orange.fr/chabrieres/proustquestionnaire.html is a link to an on-line version. Give it a go! Below are my answers:
Your most marked characteristic?
The fact that I am so tiny in stature and yet so large in personality
The quality you most like in a man?
Courage, the ability to laugh at himself, intelligence, and concern for others – people and animals
The quality you most like in a woman?
The ability to carve her own path and not allow others to put her into a box she does not want to be in
What do you most value in your friends?
honesty, loyalty, and humor
What is your principle defect?
I am incapable of hiding my feelings regardless of situation
What is your favorite occupation?
Writing
What is your dream of happiness?
Life-long love
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
To die with the music still in you
What would you like to be?
A world adventurer
In what country would you like to live?
Any one with a government that has respect for life as its guiding principle
What is your favorite color?
Green
What is your favorite flower?
Lillies, sunflowers, and lilacs
What is your favorite bird?
Hummingbird
Who are your favorite prose writers?
Those brave enough to tell their stories with honesty and grace, without ego or self-pity
Who are your favorite poets?
Frost, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Harry Potter
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Alice from Alice in Wonderland and through the Looking Glass
Who are your favorite composers?
Nino Rota and Vivaldi
Who are your favorite painters?
The French Impressionists, Brian Andreas, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Johannes Vermeer, Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso
Who are your heroes in real life?
Those who meet life with an exuberance that benefits humanity
What is it you most dislike?
dishonesty, irresponsibility, laziness, and those who take advantage of the kindness of others
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
To freeze time so I can enjoy happy moments for just a bit longer
How would you like to die?
Happy
What is your present state of mind?
Forward-looking
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
inability to resist chocolate-covered donuts
What is your motto?
There is no time like the present
The picture above can be found at http://www.mercantilelibrary.org/groups/images/Marcel-Proust-1.jpg
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I am a devote Vanity Fair reader. My favorite feature in the magazine is the Proust Questionnaire put to a variety of celebrities. http://pagesperso-orange.fr/chabrieres/proustquestionnaire.html is a link to an on-line version. Give it a go! Below are my answers:
