Rev. John W. O'Malley, S.J.

Contact Information: 
202-687-4000 (Residence)

Interests:
Things Italian, which means history, art, and especially cuisine.  Thus, traveling in Italy.  Things French, when I’m not intimidated by them.  Cooking.  British who-done-its.  Opera, with Puccini at the top of the list followed by Mozart.  No Wagner!  Ballet–gimme them Russians for this art!  Poker.  Long walks.  Hanging out with friends, especially when they take me to nice restaurants (but I’m not an easy critic).  Movies, but, again, I’m not an easy critic.  Used to be a beach bum, but no longer. 

Favorite Books:
Well, to be honest, I like my own a lot, but I suppose that does not count.   Most recently, I loved The Age of Innocence and am ashamed I’d not read it before.  As a kid I read Gone With the Wind seven times, but tried again recently and could not get through more than a few pages!  My two favorite movies:  “Tree of the Wooden Clogs” (Italian, of course) and “Gosford Park,” which I’ve seen at least five times.  I also like trashy movies, sucn as John Waters’ “Hairspray” and “Polyester.” 

Favorite Saying:  
To God:  “Let me let you love me.  Let me let you in.”
To mortals:  “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between a lightning bolt and a lightning bug.”  (Mark Twain)

Nicest Thing Ever Said About Me:
“John O’Malley, that archenemy of the superfluous word.”  (a Jesuit friend) 

Things I Hate Most:  
Pretension, especially when I discover it in myself.