Reading, writing, making cards and collages and sewing and embroidering. Ben. I am very interested in Ben.
Music
Sufjan Stevens. Yo La Tengo. Low. Shawn Colvin. Flaming Lips. Ben Folds. Beck. Manishevitz. Grandaddy. Danielson. Patty Griffin. The New Pornographers. Polyphonic Spree. And - don't go away, when I say this, because I'm being honest, and that has to count for something. Sometimes, once in a while, I crank up the Kelly Clarkson and bust out my best version of Since U Been Gone. And it is a very satisfying feeling indeed.
Movies
West Side Story. Broadcast News. Say Anything. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Me and You and Everyone We Know. Lovely and Amazing. Amelie. The Cruise.
Television
Yes, I watch a lot of it. Ok, Freaks and Geeks. The Office. 30 Rock. Six Feet Under. Project Runway. Thankfully we don't have cable, or I'd never get anything done watching things I don't really want to watch, but would watch, because it's what I do. Like those shows on VH1 about the worst of the seventies featuring commentaries by people who seem really random to me. Because frankly, if that's a job, I think I'm as qualified as anyone, and at least as random.
Books
Anything by: George Saunders, Ali Smith, Lorrie Moore, Rick Moody, David Foster Wallace, Joe Meno, Aimee Bender, Nina Solomon, Tod Goldberg, Gabe Hudson, Arthur Bradford, Jeffrey Eugenides, Ken Kalfus, Lydia Davis. Loving Jonathan Lethem, Laurie Colwin, Etgar Keret, and Gary Lutz right this minute. Keep in mind that this is a short, unentirely thought through list, and some writers I love don't have books yet.
Heroes
This is a word I've always been uncomfortable with. Would you enjoy an essay on why? There are any number of people I admire, for any number of reasons, talent, personality, humor, um, you know, goodness. But I kind of feel like all people are capable of heroic acts, and all people are capable of being self-centered or whatever the opposite of heroic is. Stoic? All I'm trying to say is, a heroic act in and of itself doesn't make someone a hero. I think people with integrity are sort of heroic, but I dunno. Okay, this is what I'm trying to say. I don't know what hero really means to me. I think it means someone utterly virtuous. That's a toughie. Cuz I'm not really chilling with the Dalai Lama, and he might be if I knew more about him, or knew him personally. And what if the Dalai Lama, sometimes, has a passing judgmental thought about someone? How could he not? Is he still a hero? Because I do think virtuous behavior, heroically speaking, is more important than virtuous thinking. Alright, yes, we now have more of a rant/ramble situation than an essay. I'll get back to you if something/one more definitive comes to mind.
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Graduated: 1984
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Radio and Television (!)
Minor: American Literature
About me: I write short stories. Oh, hey, the paperback of my latest collection, ALL THIS HEAVENLY GLORY is out. I teach. Sometimes, I can be heard on the radio. (WBEZ's Writer's Block Party in Chicago). I make stuff. I blog. It's called standBy Bert. I wrote another collection called WHEN THE MESSENGER IS HOT. In September, my third collection, YOU MUST BE THIS HAPPY TO ENTER comes out.
Who I'd like to meet: Diane Keaton. Are you on MySpace Diane Keaton? Because I haven't heard from you yet. Otherwise how do I know who I want to meet until I meet them? What can you really know about someone until you meet them? I mean, I admire many people, but most of the people I love are people I wasn't trying to meet, we just met. And yet here I am on myspace ostensibly for the purposes of meeting people. Plus what if I say I want to meet like, Wes Anderson or somebody but Wes Anderson doesn't want to meet me? That would suck, knowing that. Whereas if Wes Anderson wants to meet me but is off of myspace in the real world with Diane Keaton or a Wilson, then he could use his people to get to my people - okay I'm joking, I think we all know I don't have people, anyway, I'm just saying, I'll try to meet you, you try to meet me, and at this point, in all likelihood, if you're still here reading this, if you're sticking around that long, we might like to meet each other. Probably at the very least, you'll know that you don't, but I'll never have to know about it.
been sick as a dog for the last few days, but the upside of it is that i got to re-read all my fav books of all time. 'when the messenger is hot' is on my nightstand. never get sick of this awesome book, so thank you for that ^_^
Oh Gosh!! Been so long and I've done a real drop-off-the-edge-of-the-world bit again. Just a bit stressed---too much work and not enuff creative time!! PLUS my stereo is broken!! But enough about me---I miss you and hope to write you a nice long KETCHUP soon!! Hope all is wonderful with you and your precious ones!! xoxox from berlin!
just read your post. you're leaving us?? nooooooo!!! i have facebook too but never use it plus im always saying 'in ya facebook' to people which annoys everyone. stay here. you'll hate FB trust me.
hey there, kitty...hope you're bursting with activity and creativity and all those cool TIVITIES...gotta write you a nice long one soon, I've missed ya...have a grand krimble!!
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