WHY DO YOU DO IT? WHAT DRIVES YOU?
I’ve always loved writing, mostly as escapism. What drives me is a combination of anger and the ability to articulate a lot of things about the world around me that I didn’t have at a younger age. I never lost my sense of 'why do things have to be this way?'
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU DO FOR SANITY MAINTENANCE?
I’m into petty vices—smoking the occasional cigarette, sometimes betting on sports, telling white lies to strangers. For me, this helps to divert energy away from bigger vices.
WHAT IS THE SCRAPPIEST THING YOU’VE DONE TO MAKE OR SAVE $$?
The thing that usually comes to mind is I used to walk a giant, aggressive Polish sheepdog in high school, and the only way to get him to like you was to smear your hands with cheese, so I would have to do that all the time as well as give him additional cheese on his walks.
I’m pretty scrappy in general. I’ve been cutting and dyeing my own hair for most of my life.
YOUR TASK IS TO PRESCRIBE ONE BOOK OR FILM TO THE COLLECTIVE FOR MANDATORY CONSUMPTION. WHAT IS IT?
I’ll go with LIQUID SKY, which is also my insta handle. It’s a bizarre, underrated 80s film about aliens, new wavers/punks, drugs, and sex. The star, Anne Carlisle, plays multiple roles, male and female. Aesthetically, it resembles an extended fashion shoot, oozing cool. It would make a great double feature with BORN IN FLAMES.
And then I know this is against the rules but I’m not much into following rules so: I think humanity could also benefit from reading THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ASSATA SHAKUR and THE DESCENT OF ALETTE by Alice Notley.
current obsession?
The newly re-issued Hanuman Editions are gorgeous, portable, and feature writing by the likes of Cookie Mueller, Dodie Bellamy, and Eileen Myles. They're also pretty affordable.
In general, translation, hard cider, finding ways to be near water, my dog’s velvety ears.
MOST USEFUL FAILURE?
There are many, but I started college as a criminal justice major, thinking that was the best path if I wanted to work with people in prison. But everyone who was majoring in criminal justice wanted to be a cop. I left immediately and never looked back.
SELECTED Q FROM THE PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Arrogance.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
An anti-capitalist love story about two queer bank robbers. The bank robbing part is loosely based on the life of Gilles Bertin, onetime frontman of the band Camera Silens, who stole the modern equivalent of around 3 million euros from a truck depot and was on the run for 30 years before turning himself in.
DISCIPLINE OR ANARCHY?
Anarchy.
