Jack Carlson: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

The Steeple Times asks author of “Rowing Blazers” Jack Carlson: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

Creativity and persistence.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam: “Either I shall find a way, or I shall make one”.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2014?

Factory farms and littering.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

Having time to draw.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

I don’t have much to offer and what I’m after’s not for sale.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?

[Insert boilerplate quotation about Wall Street and Main Street].

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“To be fair”.

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I always support animal welfare organisations when I have the chance: World Animal Protection and Farm Sanctuary are two of my favourites. Some of the proceeds from my book Rowing Blazers have gone to support youth rowing programs – The Stewards’ Charitable Trust in the UK and Row New York in the US.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

The one thing I know is that mobile phones must never, ever be used in the Stewards’ Enclosure at Henley.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

The characters of Wes Anderson’s films.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

What a horrible thought! A margherita pizza from Pizza Artisan in Oxford or Princi in London.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

What time of year is it acceptable to wear white? Are there still rules for these things?

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A Coke (and not the “Diet” kind) in a glass bottle.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Ralph Lauren knows how to throw a great book launch party.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My girlfriend, Victoria.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Television.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

No tattoos for me, I’m afraid.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A Morgan: Probably a temperamental one.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

When I was young I was determined not to go to university. Now I find myself writing a Ph.D.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Rowing medals and crew photographs.

Jack Carlson has represented the United States at the World Rowing Championships and raced for Oxford in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races. In 2013, Jack won the Henley Royal Regatta, the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and the Head of the Charles Regatta. Carlson is an archaeologist and a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University. His book Rowing Blazers has just been released by Thames & Hudson.

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