Apropos of Nothing: Rich Meyer Answers 5 Questions

Rich Meyer is a freelance writer, editor and proofreader who has written numerous trivia quiz e-books, flash fiction stories and is working on his first novel. He is an active volunteer with the Old Time Radio Researchers group, dedicated to the preservation of old-time radio shows. Rich is an avid fan of Frank Zappa, Doc Savage, comic books, and, of course, trivia. Rich lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Mona and their family of furry children.

Say something about illness and how it has affected your life.

I spent a good portion of my early childhood in and out of hospitals with ear infections, pneumonia, and came close to dying once when I had an adverse reaction to a German Measles vaccine. As such, I kept to myself most of the time and developed a love for reading, particularly comic books and science fiction novels, and drawing. While if I hadn’t been sick, I might’ve gone on to somewhat more physical endeavors, I feel I’m a more rounded individual because of those early trials, even though at the time I really had no awareness of what was actually going on.

Which of your senses do you value most?

That’s a toss-up between my sight and my hearing. While I use my sight much more in what I do (watching movies and old TV shows to collect trivial bits of information), my wife and I recently adopted a blind kitten. That little girl is showing us that being blind is not the end one might think it would be, as she is one of the most active kittens I have ever had the fortune to have in my life. I guess one must consider what one would rather not do: never again see a great piece of art or a striking landscape scene, or never again hear a glorious symphony or a powerful guitar solo?

Talk about competition.

I’m not big on competition. I don’t always worry about winning or coming out on top, since I know no one is going to do that very often for very long. I would (and have) made a horrible salesman.

The only semi-exception is when I play trivia, particularly in the World’s Largest Trivia Contest in Wisconsin; while I take a personal satisfaction whenever I can be the first on my team to find an answer to a question, I also don’t worry too much about being the winning team, since that is a VERY hard thing to do. However, my current team is pretty well-versed in the trivial arts, so I may change that attitude at a moment’s notice.

Give 3 reasons why you like yourself.

First, I have reached a level of personal integrity that allows me to deal with the hypocrisy of modern life without getting stressed out about it.

 I take care of my own.

 And finally, I have a sense of humor, which is the most important weapon a person can have in any battle.

What would you like to achieve with your life?

I have no real goals at the moment, other than to live a comfortable and stress-free life. I would like that, when people look back at me after I’ve moved on, they remember me as having a modicum of personal class and style, and that I left a lot of smiles behind.

To learn more about Rich and his work, please visit:

His Amazon Author Page

His Review Blog

His Other Blog

Fascinating interview, Rich! I’m no slouch when it comes to trivia – I just may have to invest in some of your books. I’m also glad to read that Ruby Xev is settling into life with you and the rest of your family. Her pictures are adorable!

On Thursday, the talented musician and writer Ed Drury will be joining me for his moment in the hot seat. Come back then, won’t you?