Metal - the real stuff with good melodies and beyond-the-mundane lyrics/stories. Cinema. The city of Paris. Seeing as much of France as I can in my lifetime.
Like-minded metalheads, and the individual who knows the poetic from the prosaic.
Oh man, don't get me started... Helstar, Sanctuary, ShadowKeep, Realm, Iron Maiden with Di'Anno (okay, Maiden with Dickinson, too), Angel Witch, Lethal, Trouble, Warlord, In The Name, Pharaoh, Sacred Blade/Othyrworld, Timelord, Arcane, Mystic-Force, Zions Abyss, early Leatherwolf, Fear Of God, Candlemass, Heathen, Cea Serin, Lordbane, Greyhaven, Seasons Of The Wolf, Polaris, Vauxdvihl, Metal Church, Ark, Judas Priest 1976-1983, Destiny's End, Cirith Ungol, Sacred Rite, Vandenberg, New Eden, Powervice, Embers Of Euphoria, Inner Strength, Dust, early Vicious Rumors, Warrior (US), Anubis Gate, Jag Panzer, Death, Ion Vein, Winterhawk, Leviathan (CO), Fates Warning, Portrait, Lanfear, Psychotic Waltz, Crimson Glory, Sindrome, WatchTower, Damn The Machine, WarCry, Control Denied, Oracle (FL), Heir Apparent, Riot, Powers Court, early Chastain, Atheist, Omega Point, Sacred Oath, Adramelch, White Spirit, Cauldron Born, Triumph, Seventh Omen, Born Of Fire, Crescent Shield, Mercyful Fate, Rainbow and Sabbath with Dio, Fifth Angel, Tyrant's Reign, Spiral Architect, Auditory Imagery, Solstice (UK), Held Under, Damien Steele, Hour of 13, Atlantean Kodex, Armored Saint. See, I told you, don't get me started. :-) ******************** Other artists: Judie Tzuke, Zazie, Fiorella Mannoia, Alice (IT), Earth and Fire 1970-1975, Cowboy Junkies, early Heart, Lucid Beausonge, EleftherÃa Arvanitaki, Isabelle Boulay, Natasha St.-Pier and the late and lamented François De Roubaix, soundtrack composer extraordinaire.
Classic and arthouse cinema, mainly. A source of inspiration for me will always remain Claude Sautet (1924-2000), the French writer/director of such films as 'Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud' and 'Max et les ferrailleurs'.
Authors whose books I read time and again: Patrick Modiano, David Goodis, Hartmut Lange, Antonio Tabucchi, Ray Bradbury and Philippe Delerm.
Ingrid Betancourt