What’s your most memorable Halloween experience?

Living in New Orleans before and after Katrina. Halloween already belonged there, and I loved being part of it. After the storm, it felt different because life was different. I haven’t been back since 2009. I miss the city, and I miss who I was when I lived there, before I lost my faith in humanity.

Tell us why you would make it to the end of a horror movie.

I’m a little Shaggy and a little Scooby-Doo. I require snacks, I scare easily, and I love a good mystery enough to keep getting myself into trouble. I’d make it to the end because somebody has to unmask the bastard. Then we can eat.

What would you do with the unlucky $13,000?

I’d put it toward new motorized chairs for my mother and grandmother. My mother has had both hips replaced, and my grandmother is a polio survivor. I’d love to make getting around easier for both of them. That would make $13,000 pretty lucky in my book.

Who is your real-life hero who you would want to survive a horror movie with?

Elvira! If I’m surviving a horror movie with anyone, it’s the Mistress of the Dark. I’ll bring the snacks, she’ll bring the commentary, and I’ll try not to embarrass myself in front of her. No promises.