Michel Nolan is a reporter for the San Bernardino Sun and a leader in covering arts in Southern California. Before moderating an event on how the arts can revive cities, Nolan discussed freeways, salad dressing, and common journalism questions.
What’s your preferred machine to write on—typewriter, desktop, laptop, or phone?
Laptop.
What’s your most prized piece of art?
My children’s artwork. The passion and spontaneity in a child’s piece of artwork are just amazing.
What’s your favorite San Bernardino lunch spot?
We go to Molly’s a lot, because it’s convenient right down from the paper. And I love the Mexico Café—that’s my favorite.
What question do you get asked most often by aspiring journalists?
The most common one is not very exciting. Do I decide what I write about or do I get assignments from my editors? And the answer is mostly I think of my own things.
What salad dressing best describes you?
A little Italian on the side. And I don’t mean Danny DeVito.
Who was your childhood hero?
I loved John Wayne. And Shirley Temple.
Where do you go to be alone?
I am fortunate enough to live in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, and I have a deck that overlooks the forest. To be alone, all I have to do is go out on my deck. And you need private time to process, especially when you have five kids.
What is the last habit you tried to kick?
Eating too much.
What is your least favorite freeway?
There are so many. But I can’t stand the 91. My dad died of cancer, and when he was going through chemo, he was so sick, and you’d ask him how he was feeling, and he’d say, “It’s not as bad as being on the 91.”