Dossier Q&A: Jacalyn Evone
Jacalyn Evone is an author and filmmaker who runs “Kids ‘N Film” in Vallejo. Here she gives us insight into herself by answering the Proust Questionnaire.
Kindness
I admire reliability and trustworthiness.
Fortitude. Not giving up even when I may feel ultimate defeat.What do you appreciate most in your friends?
They take the time to listen to my concerns, support my dreams, and encourage me.
What is your favorite pastime?
Photography or filmmaking, capturing images through the lens of my camera.
What is your idea of happiness?
Spending time with family and knowing they are healthy, have adequate food, and we all have a roof over our heads.
What is your idea of misery?
Not having adequate food for myself or my family or not having a roof over our heads. My heart breaks for the homeless.
If not yourself, who would you like to be?
The only person I truly admired in my lifetime to the point of wanting to emulate was Barbara Jordan, U.S. House of Representatives. Her eloquence, the powerful impact of her words, and her delivery made a lasting impression that resides in me today.
If not Vallejo, where would you most like to live?
I lived in a small cottage on Howell Mountain in Angwin for a few years, next door to Calistoga, just north of Napa. Five acres of heaven, beautiful trees, a creek. If I could, that is where I would spend my final years.
What is your favorite flower?
Lilies
What is your favorite color?
While physics says black is the absence of light, color without hue, it is my favorite.
Who is your favorite prose/nonfiction author?
W.E.B. Du Bois
Who is your favorite poet?
I have equal admiration for Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni.
Who is your favorite fiction author?
Stephen King
Who are your favorite heroes in fiction?When I think of heroes, what first comes to mind are superheroes. Storm, a mutant from the X-men series, was one of the first Black female superheroes; however, I must also include T’Challa, The Black Panther. In novels, Alex Haley’s “Roots,” Kunte Kinte comes to mind, or Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” character, the lawyer Atticus Finch, who in 1936 Alabama fought against racial injustice for a Black man.
Who is your favorite artist?
Today, I can easily say it is the British political street artist Banksy. His work is big, bold, and his social messages scream at you.
Who are your favorite musicians?
Tina Turner, Percy Sledge, Barbara Streisand, Sade, Marvin Gaye.
